


The Masked Fox

by WildeHopps



Category: Zootopia (2016), Zorro (TV 1957)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-13 06:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 156,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7965511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildeHopps/pseuds/WildeHopps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After multiple failed attempts to capture the illusive outlaw simply known as, The Fox, Commandante Bogo is forced to send out the one officer he dislikes the most, el Capitan Hopps, to capture him. Will Capitan Hopps be able to capture the illusive desperado, or will The Fox, make her fall to him, or for him, instead.</p>
<p>Cover Art by charliebarkinq on tumblr.<br/>Idea from KungFuFreak07 on DA.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Capitan! My office, now!"

"Yes, Commandante!"

The Capitan scurried up the steps of the adobe fort, and even with the steps being made for much larger mammals, she still took them two at a time.

An impressive feat for a rabbit like herself.

Finally reaching the Commandante's door, she rapped smartly against the wood, pulling her hat from her head and placing it under her arm.

"Come in," the Commandante grunted from inside. The Capitan pushed open the door, walking into the office, her eyes taking a moment to adjust from the glaring sunlight outside. Shutting the door behind her, she walked up to the massive desk, with the even more enormous mammal behind it.

"Capitan Hopps, glad to see you could make it today."

The rabbit winced inwardly, but tried not to let it show on the outside. She wanted to retort that the only reason as to her prior tardiness was due to her fellow officers stealing her uniform and hanging it from the flagpole, but Commandante Bogo was not one to accept excuses, even if they weren't one.

"Thank you sir," she replied, saluting crisply. Bogo snorted, not even bothering to raise his own hoof in return. Instead of lowering her own paw, she kept up the salute, hoping he would return the gesture this time.

Nearly a minute passed with her paw raised as he glared at her.

"Are you finished yet, Hopps."

She wilted inside, her arm falling to her side.

"Ye...yes Commandante," she replied, her gaze never lowering from his, though she felt her nerve starting to fracture from his glare.

"Do you know why I called you in here, Hopps?" The buffalo asked. Judy acknowledged how he hadn't even used her title when speaking with her. It was just another way he reminded her that he didn't want her under his command.

"No, Commandante," she replied.

Bogo snorted in annoyance, "You've heard of the desperado known only as, The Fox, yes?"

_Of course I have_...Judy replied mentally. Anyone in the entire province of Califurnia knew of that wanted criminal who held a hold of terror over the poor people of the burgeoning village of Zootopia. Instead of the reply she wanted to go with, returning the Commandante's disrespect with her own, she simply resolved herself to nodded.

"I have, Commandante."

"Good, then you've heard of what happened to Capitan Doug and Corporal Jesse and Walter, correct?"

Again, a cheeky reply bit at the tip of her tongue, yet she held it in. She felt sorry for the three rams, as they had only been in command of Zootopia for three months before they were found sheared and tied to a cactus, a large 'F' slashed into a tree nearby.

She gave another nod.

"Excellent," Bogo grinned, placing a pair of spectacles on as he picked a specific case of paper on his desk. "As it seems Zootopia is in need of a new Capitan, and as none of my other, _actual_ , officers seem to want to take the duty station..."

"I'll take it, Commandante," the rabbit nearly shouted. Grimacing as her ears fell behind her head, she swallowed nervously. "I mean, if you think I am able to be in charge of..."

"No I don't think you're capable of it, Hopps," Bogo interrupted. Again his words cut into her heart better than any sharpened steel could. "However, seeing as I have no other option, other to send a _bunny_ to do the job," Bogo leaned across his desk, glaring down at the rabbit, "then looks like you have your first position. _Don't mess it up._ "

He added the last few words slowly, and with great enunciation to each word. With her heart beating rapidly inside her chest, and her drive to show her Commandante that she _could_ , do the job he was asking of her, she nodded, giving the water buffalo a crisp salute.

"I won't let you down, Commandante!"

"Don't care if you do, as I expect you to fail anyways," he snorted, leaning back into his chair. "I expect you to be there in three days."

Hopps was shocked. "Three days sir? But it is a five day journey to Zootopia from here!"

Bogo laughed, he actually laughed. "Then you betting get _hopping_ along, eh, rabbit? Dismissed."

Capitan Hopps lowered her salute and walked swiftly towards the door, exiting the Commandante's office quickly.

After that, it was an all out sprint to gather her belongings and race to her first assignment.

_Hopefully I can get at least a small cart to help me carry my belongings..._ she thought, racing to her quarters. She groaned when she reached them, finding her belongings scattered across the room.

"At least I have a purpose now," she stated to herself, ignore the nearby snickers of her fellow Capitans and Corporals.

"Not for long Rabbit," a nearby moose, Corporal Alce, laughed. "I bet you won't even last a week down there."

Hopps just glared at the moose, causing his laugh to halt and for him to quickly turn and walk down the hall. Sighing, she walked into her room and grabbed her rucksack, beginning to throw her spare uniforms and gear into it with reckless abandon.

Somehow, she'd have to make the five day journey in just three days.

"Looks like no rest for the weary," she growled as she picked up a picture of her family. She smiled, tenderly placing the picture into the pocket of her uniform, before shoving the rest of her gear into the bag and bolting out the door.

* * *

"Hail to the fox, wherever he be. May he live long, and merrily."

The children giggled, singing the song as they ran through the streets, with two of the kids dueling each other with wooden swords. One, an otter, wore a black mask across his face, with slits for his eyes as he battled a young cheetah in a blue hat and red sash. As the song ended, the otter pup 'vanquished' his enemy to the cheer of his friends.

The nearby adults laughed at the children as they played. It was a common thing to see the children singing the praises of The Fox, especially after how he had helped deliver them from under the oppressive hooves of Capitan Doug and his ilk.

It had taken a while, but children and adults were actually smiling again.

"Interesting performance, kits."

The voice brought the children out of their games, as they all turned to stare at the mammal walking towards them, a grey rabbit in a soldier's uniform. From the looks of it, she appeared wearied, tired, and her uniform was coated in dirt. Overall, the only thing that gave her away as a soldier, and a Capitan at that, was with the way she still held herself, back straight, shoulders back, and a steely gaze matching the feeling she was giving off to those around her. Even with the rucksack tossed over her back, she displayed an air of confidence to those around her.

"May I see that sword?" Capitan Hopps stated, her red sash billowing in the light breeze.

The comment was focused on the otter pup, who pulled up his mask to see the mammal speaking better. He nodded, passing along his wooden toy with a smile. "Are you the new Capitan?" he asked.

Hopps nodded, feeling a little bit of pride inside that the young pup would recognize her rank. "That I am."

"Are you here to capture, The Fox?" another kit asked.

Another nod.

"Well, I hope you fail," a nearby lamb stated.

Inside, her heart froze, while on the outside, her paws twisted tighter around the wooden sword in her paw.

_I'm not going to fail..._

" _Interesting..."_ Was all she could say, as she handled the toy sword, turning it over in her paws. The look of interest suddenly changed to a frown, as she aptly cracked the wooden toy in half over her knee. The children gasped, and the otter pup quivered in fear as the rabbit hunched over to stare into his now semi-masked eyes. A nearby adult, most likely the boy's father, darted towards him, but stopped as the rabbit glared at him. The grown otter gulped, then stood still, hanging his head as the bunny went back to staring at the pup dressed as the one she was sent to capture.

"You may all like whoever _The Fox_ , is," she said with a growl, eyeing the rest of the children, "but I've been sent all the way from San Furcisco to find, and capture this outlaw. And that is _exactly_ what I'm going to do."

Her attention turned to the cheetah cub still laying on his back, propped up by his elbows. She offered him her paw. Taking it, she hefted him up, dusting off his shoulders before turning to the crowd that had assembled. Noticing the congregating mammals, as well as spying a nearby crate, she hopped onto the box, allowing all those assembled to see her.

"Here me this," the rabbit yelled, grabbing the attention of each and every mammal in the vicinity. "My name is El Capitan Judy Hopps, and anyone caught supporting, or aiding the villain known simply as, The Fox, will be put in a cell until the time I decide they have repented of their treason. This goes for _all_ mammals, of _any_ age."

A light gasp went up as Capitan Hopps once again stared down at the kits who had so merrily been playing just a few minutes before. The otter pup was whimpering as several of the ones singing the song, including a young rabbit and fox holding each other, were looking at her with fear in their eyes.

"I do not care about what you may feel towards this bandit, but, as a soldier of Governor Lionheart, I will arrest him, and anyone who dares to support him."

She gazed over the assembled mammals, watching them and their looks of fear and dread etched into their faces. In all their eyes, she could see that none of them viewed whoever this, The Fox, mammal was as a villain.

They only viewed her as one.

Hopping off the crate, and avoiding any more eye contact with the villagers, she marched out of the square, chin held high, but ears hanging low as she dropped the splintered remains of a toy sword in the middle of the square, a silent reminder to all, that a new Capitan was in town. She paused, breathing in deeply several times, her head slipping to look at the ground, as she worked at holding in her conflicted emotions within.

But she had a job to do. Her _first_ assignment, and she was going to prove to Commandante Bogo that she could do the job of a Capitan, just as well as any other mammal.

_Even better than anyone else_...she added quickly.

With a new kick in her step, she raised her head again, headed for the nearby barracks. The two soldiers guarding the door, a rather hefty male cheetah, and a female timberwolf, crisply saluted, recognizing their new Capitan, and pushing open the large wooden doors for her to enter.

Only when she disappeared around a corner, did she allow her mask to fall and leaned against the stucco walls of the barracks outer walls.

"I can do this..." she whispered, clenching her fist, fighting at the sense of worry that threatened to engulf her. "I am the first rabbit El Capitan. I have been appointed by none other than Commandante Bogo...and I will capture The Fox. I...I will earn the trust of the mammals of this city."

"I cannot fail..."

* * *

The crowd began parting as the rabbit disappeared into the barracks at the other side of the town square, and as the doors shut behind her, the townsfolk went back to business, noticeably more worried than just a few moments before. The young otter's father went quickly to his son's side, dabbing at the tears on his cheek, picking him up and carrying into a nearby home.

Silently watching everything from the second floor window of a nearby hacienda , a fox turned from the window and walked deeper into his room. His perch from the second floor window of the hotel offered him a grand view of the entire spectacle he had witnessed, and had watched in sorrow as the rabbit officer had broken the pup's sword, and even more at her threat to the townsfolk.

His interest was piqued, however, as he noticed her clear signs of distress after her display.

_Looks like all that was simply a show..._ he mused.

"Interesting," the fox mused, scratching his muzzle, before turning from the window. He began pacing his room, only stopping to look at himself in a nearby mirror. He tutted softly, before straightening his black half coat with its many swirling gold designs, as well as the red sash around his waist. "Finnick, come here please."

A short fennec fox ambled towards the mammal, staring up into his master's mischievous emerald eyes.

"What do you make of the new, El Capitan's threats?"

The short fox frowned, before pounding one of his fists into his open palm, then waving it in the direction of the barracks.

"I see. I take it you don't like her very much?" the taller fox laughed, placing his paws against his waist,

Again, the smaller fox shook his head as the larger red fox moved back towards the window. "Well, this ought to make things a lot more interesting around here, that's for sure."

The red fox missed his shorter friends smacking his palm against his head.

"Oh, don't be that way, Finnick," the red fox laughed, surprising the shorter fox that he knew what he was doing behind his back. He turned once more, flashing his shorter friend a smile. "I think there are two sides to this new, Capitan Hopps. And I intend to get to know both a little better."

The shorter fox grinned, then made three quick swishes in the form of the letter "F" with his finger, causing a bout of laughter from the taller red fox.

"That's correct, Finnick, Don Nicholas Wilde needs to pay our new Capitan a visit." Don Wilde picked up his nearby hat and placed it aptly upon his head. "Though I think later tonight, The Fox, needs to as well."


	2. Fixing Things

Judy walked into the Capitan's quarters, and immediately frowned. Not only was the desk cluttered with randomly placed documents, tools and folders, but also had several plates and unwashed glasses of wine sitting on them.

"Ugh, and Capitan Doug has been gone nearly two weeks," Judy muttered, holding her nose as she picked up the dirty dishes and silverware and carried them outside to drop at the door to her office.

"Is this not to your liking, Capitan Hopps?" Sergeant Benjamin Garcia Clawhauser stated. The plump cheetah who had greeted her, as well as was giving Judy a tour of the fort looked timid, holding his hat flat against his chest. "I could see if we could clean up a different room for you to use that might be more to your liking. There's a nice little burrow sized room down the corridor tha-"

Judy sighed, her shoulders sagging. "How could you even think this is up to standards for officers?" she muttered to nobody in particular. Clawhauser stopped speaking, an eyebrow arching.

"I take that as a yes to moving?"

"No," Judy interrupted harshly, though at the look of sadness in the Sergeant's face, she calmed herself and replied in a much softer voice. "No, this isn't the best conditions I've seen, nor is it the worst, but, I won't be taking anyone else's room just because mine needs a good cleaning." She glared around the room again.

_Corporal Flash probably had the worst chambers she'd seen at any of her posts, not just because he was a sloth and couldn't clean anything up quickly but...well, mainly because he was lazy. This is nothing on that..._

Judy circled the room, noticing the room was in just as bad a state as the desk, and she didn't even want to begin on the bed. She shuddered, deciding that this was something she could put off for at least a few hours.

"Sergeant Clawhauser?"

"Si, Capitan Hopps?" he replied, saluting crisply. Judy couldn't help but smile, as the cheetah had been the first soldier in a long time to seem to actually respect her.

"Round up the troops, I'd like to do a full inspection to see where we're at if we are to capture The Fox."

Clawhauser visibly gulped.

"But Commandante, the soldiers, they are, how do you put it. They are afraid of The Fox after what has happened to all the other Capitan's to serve here. Especially with that whole deal with the cactus and..." Clawhauser caught Capitan Hopps staring at him. "I'll just be quiet now, Capitan."

Judy narrowed her eyes, causing the cheetah to become even more nervous. The only reason why Bogo had given her position was because he wanted rid of her, and sending her to capture the vigilante that had broken five previous Capitan's was something she was sure made Bogo glad. Now she could see  _why_  the other's had failed as well. Without good soldiers following you, you had nothing. 

_Maybe that attitude was instilled by their leaders?_  Judy wondered, placing her paw against her chin as she surveyed the room. It certainly was a subject to consider. A messy room probably meant messiness all the way down the chain of command afterall. Another reason why the water buffalo had allowed her to take this command.

He  _wanted_ her to fail, and fail miserably.

She wasn't about to give Bogo the pleasure of seeing her broken, after all she had done to get to where she was, the first rabbit in the entire army to make the rank of Capitan.

"Sergeant Clawhauser, do you know what the previous Capitan's have lacked, which had caused them to not be able to capture The Fox?" she said abruptly.

"Um, they didn't brush their teeth correctly?" the Sergeant offered, smiling broadly.

"No."

His smile fell.

"No," Judy continued, pacing up to the cheetah. " _They_  have not been  _me_."

"I see Capitan," Clawhauser replied, nodding his head up, only for him to slow and eventually start shaking his head back and forth. "Actually, I don't see."

Judy put her paw to her head. "Nevermind, just...gather the troops for inspection."

"Si Capitan!" Clawhauser gave a crisp salute, before turning and marching out of the room. Judy turned, facing the mess that greeted her head on.

"I have a few minutes, so might as well start cleaning."

* * *

" _Attention_!"

The troops on the parade ground snapped to attention, saluting as Judy began walking down the line of soldiers, noticing each and every little detail about their uniforms.

A smear here, a wrinkled shirt there, and a copious amount of missing pieces and parts such as sashes, hats, and even a sword here and there.

_No wonder why they couldn't catch The Fox..._ Judy thought, mentally shaking her head as she finished walking past the assembled troops. Marching back to the center of the line, she faced her soldiers.  _If they are this sloppy after being given an hour to prepare for inspection, what would happen if The Fox were to suddenly appear in town causing havoc?_

Apparently, her soldiers needed an example to be made. Looking down the line, she spotted the perfect mammal for the task.

"Private Delgato!" she yelled. Quickly, a lion stepped forward.

"Si Capitan!"

Judy glared at the large predator, folding her arms across her chest. "Attack me."

The lion's salute faltered as he looked visibly stunned. "What did you say, Capitan?"

"Attack me," Judy repeated.

The lion gulped.

"Alright, if you insist." The lion reached for his sword, eyes widening as his paw connected with nothing but his blue jacket and red sash.

"Why aren't you attacking me, Private?" Judy asked again, letting a smirk grace her lips as the lion fumbled around his belt, turning to look behind him.

"I uh, seem to have misplaced my sword, Capitan..." the lion sheepishly replied.

"And what would you have done if The Fox was here?" Judy questioned, taking a step forward.

"You mean, Zorro?" Private Delgato replied, then quickly began to laugh. "No, no, no, no. I would not challenge him in a thousand years Capitan. His blade is like flaming steel. No bueno. He'd carve an F into the seat of my trousers before I could even draw my sword."

Judy glared at the lion, her foot thumping in aggravation, causing the larger mammal to take step backwards, rejoining the line of soldiers.

"Who else here feels like Private Delgato?" she boomed, letting her words hang over her soldiers.

Hopps glanced around, noticing several soldiers scratching their necks, or becoming extremely interested in their boots. An impala in the back began biting his hoof. 

_Disgraceful..._ Judy thought.  _It's going to take weeks to get these mammals into fighting shape. No wonder why this, Zorro, The Fox, whatever name he goes by, can get away with what he does to terrorize this town._

Feeling her frustration mounting, and realizing that she doubted she'd accomplish much with the soldiers today, she waved to Sergeant Clawhauser, who called them to attention again. 

"Dismissed!" Judy yelled, feeling annoyed at herself as the soldiers scurried of the parade ground. Making her way back under a nearby overhang, she plopped down onto her chair, rubbing her head.

"Was the inspection to your liking?"

Judy looked up to see Clawhauser approaching her.

_Of course he's smiling_...she thought, shaking her head.

"No, Sergeant. It was very much  _not_  to my enjoyment."

"Oh," the Sergeant's smile fell, before rising again. "Then I will gather the troops and we can do it again, better this time!" He went to do just that when Judy called him back.

"No, that won't be necessary Sergeant," she replied, "We'll start tomorrow morning. I want all the men up at at 5:30am sharp to begin a new training program, understood?"

"Why, that is so very early," Clawhauser replied. "The men might need a quick siesta before lunch if they have to get up that..." Clawhauser trailed off before simply nodding. "Si, Commandante, I will wake the mammals at 5:30am." The cheetah marched away. 

_At least he knows how to march..._ she inwardly laughed. Looking across the parade grounds in the middle of the fort, Judy sighed for what seemed like the 50th time that day.  _This is going to take a lot more work than I thought._

Muttering to herself, she pushed herself off the bench and began to walk down the main promenade of the fort, thinking to herself on how to improve the situation. She'd never be able to capture The Fox, or, Zorro, as Delgato had called him, with the current level of training her troops had. With all the thoughts and ideas on how to improve the fort to better protect the citizens of Zootopia, she barely noticed her pacing had led her directly to the front entrance of the fort.

Looking up, she paused, looking pensive as she watched the villagers of Zootopia meandering down the street. Hearing laughter nearby, she turned to see the same group of children from earlier running through the main square, the only difference being this time, the otter in the group had a much more forlorn expression, and was no longer wearing his mask and hat.

Judy frowned, feeling terrible about her earlier behavior. The kit's comments had caught her unaware, and been the last straw that had caused her to snap in a laundry list of insults to her abilities. The poor kit probably had some reason to want to dress up like a known criminal. A deluded one in her opinion as no outlaw could be looked up to, but a reason none the less. She shouldn't have reacted in the way she did as now, she felt no better than The Fox at her immature display. Looking at her paws, she sighed heavily, realizing that the first impression she had given the townsfolk had been one of arrogance, ignorance, and small mindedness. She'd been irresponsible in her actions, and as she gazed around the town square, she noticed the few looks that mammals gave her were filled with either fear, distrust, or a healthy mixing of both.

_I have to fix this..._ she thought, staring at the children playing in the street. Walking back into the fort, she noticed Sergeant Clawhauser ambling towards the well at the center of the compound.

"Sergeant Clawhauser?"

Clawhauser looked up, smiling as he saw the small rabbit walking towards him, then gave a crisp salute as she neared. "Yes, Capitan Hopps?"

"Do we have any spare wood lying around the fort?" she asked.

The cheetah nodded. "Si Commandante. We have plenty of wood around here, with how often The Fox tends to sneak in and something breaks in the following fight. So we like to keep spare boards around."

Judy noted how Clawhauser didn't seem at all addled by the fact that the most well known vigilante in Califurnia broke into a government fort often enough to where they kept extra building materials on paw.

"What type of board do you need, Capitan?" he asked.

"Just something small and somewhat thin," Judy replied, placing her paws behind her back.

"Si Capitan, one short and thin board, coming your way."

Judy nodded as Clawhauser bounded away, slowing to a walk after crossing only half of the parade grounds.

It was a few short minutes later that he returned, board in hand, as well as a small saw.

"I know that you are rather of a short stature, Capitan, so I brought you this children's sized saw along with the board you requested."

With how large the cheetah's smile was, Judy couldn't help but grin as she took the tool and wood gratefully. "Thank you Sergeant, that will be all."

"Si Capitan."

Judy watched the cheetah leave, then found a bench nearby and sat down. Eyeing the wood carefully, she expertly scratched a line into the wood with a small dagger she pulled from a pouch on her waist. Smiling at the finished outline, she placed one edge of the board across the bench, grabbed the saw with her other paw, and began to cut.

* * *

"Kids, time for dinner!"

a collected chorus of groans arose from the kits playing in the street as they spied several of their mothers walking towards them.

"Do we have to?" an antelope asked her mother weakly.

"Yes, dear, you have to."

"Alright..."

Several of the other kits began leaving the group as well, until a long black shape overshadowed them. They turned, their smiles turning to frown as they saw the rabbit soldier from earlier walking towards them. The young kits stood fearfully in place as she approached, her paws behind her back as she stopped before them.

Her gaze rested upon the otter pup from earlier. "I believe you and I met earlier?"

The otter pup nodded timidly. "Uh huh."

"And it wasn't under the best of circumstances, either, was it."

The otter pup shook his head side to side before lowering it.

Judy sighed, kneeling in front of him while bringing her paws out from behind her back.

"I believe I owe you a new sword," she stated timidly, a grin slowly growing as she saw a bright smile appear on the otter pup's face at the sight of a freshly carved wooden sword in her paws. "Take it," Judy offered, "it's yours."

The pup's paws reached out tentatively, his friends watching as he grabbed the wooden toy from the rabbit's paw. Judy was proud of the work she did on the sword, especially as she felt that nothing less than her best would make up for the horrible deed she had done earlier in the day. It had taken several hours, but it was time well spent in her opinion.

"I'm...I'm sorry for what I did earlier," Judy stated, smiling softly at the pup as he experimentally swung his sword a few times. "I hope this makes up for it, in a little way though."

The otter pup stopped swinging the sword. Grinning at the rabbit, he did the most unexpected thing, he ran up to Judy and gave her a quick hug. "Maybe you aren't so bad after all." he said, startling the Capitan as the pup grinned. "Though you still won't beat The Fox since you're a rabbit."

Chuckling at how naive the pup must be to think that The Fox would defeat her just because she was a rabbit, Judy returned his hug. The pup  soon ducked away, Judy placing a paw over her heart as the pup ran off to his awaiting mother, his new sword swinging above his head. His mother chuckled at her son, then gave Judy a quick smile before placing her paw onto her son's back, leading him home.

Judy stood, watching as the other families gave her similar smiles, before she turned and headed back to the fort.

She groaned, slapping a paw over her eyes, realizing that with how much time she had spent on crafting the sword, she hadn't even started on cleaning the mess that Capitan Doug had left behind.

"Tonight is going to be a  _long_  night," she muttered, marching towards the fort with her ears bowed. Her body was exhausted as she walked through the gates and signaled for them to close for the day, but her spirits were much brighter than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you all think of Capitan Hopps now? :) I hope a few things have been cleared up for everyone about her motivations. And don't worry, I think we'll be seeing a bit of The Fox, very soon...


	3. Engarde

"There, finally finished."

Judy grinned, wiping at her brow while trying, and failing, at stifling a rather large yawn as she surveyed the damage. She had long forgone her service coat, throwing it over the side of the chair in her office as she began the process of cleaning the space to begin to make it even the  _least_  bit serviceable to her. "At least now I can actually accomplish work in here."

Another yawn escaped her lips, and her stomach gurgled in reply. It had been nearly two days since she last slept due to trying to make the five day trip to Zootopia in Bogo's allotted three days. She had barely slept, eaten even less, and even though her legs were beginning to feel like soggy loaves of bread, there was still more to be done before she could finally call it a night.

_gurgle_

"Guess I should probably eat..." she mumbled, dragging herself out of her new chambers and heading downstairs. Exiting the adobe structure that made up both the living quarters and office for the Capitan of the fort, she made her way towards a fairly well lit building nearby. Song and music issued forth from the windows and slightly open door, and as she walked in, she saw the reason why.

Sergeant Clawhauser was holding a frothy mug of ale while singing a rather boisterous drinking song to the laughter of the soldiers nearby. A smile parted her lips as she watched the scene with increasing curiosity.

_He actually has quite the good voice..._ she thought, crossing her arms across her chest while leaning against the door post. Her gaze shifted to the canine soldier playing a guitar, a Corporal Reyes Wolford, if she remembered correctly. The Corporal expertly strummed the instrument, laughing as the Sergeant finished a rather long note, followed by an even longer sip from his glass. The wolf's smile was genuine, or at least it  _was_ , until his gaze fell upon Judy.

Several sour notes split the air as his paw scraped across the guitar, the wolf's eyes widening as he quickly tried to stand at attention, whipping up his paw into a salute.

"Capitan Hopps, I didn't see you there!" he yelped, causing many of the other soldiers in the room to frantically scan the room for their new commanding officer, stumbling to their feet and offering salutes in every which way and direction. Much of the earlier cheeriness vanished in favor of awkward stares, and by an even more awkward silence.

Judy moved through the room quickly, striding over to a counter that her ears barely reached the top of. Frowning, she jumped up onto the stand, scaring the cook behind it so much he nearly dropped the bowl of soup he was holding.

"Oh, Capitan, I didn't see you there," the pig stammered, placing the bowl quickly onto the counter and offering a salute, a large stirring spoon still in his hoof, dripping its contents onto his forehead. Each drip caused him to wince as the hot liquid sizzled on his skin.

"At ease," Judy stated, watching as the pig sighed in relief, while frantically wiping at his brow.

"So, what is the meal for tonight, private..." Judy scratched her chin, the pig's name not coming to mind.

"Swinson, sir," the pig replied. "And the meal is this wonderful broccoli soup which I hope you enjoy."

Judy stared down at the bowl in front of her, ignoring the urge to gag at the bubbling broth inside it. Her stomach rumbled again, and after eating almost nothing the past two days, she was too hungry to complain about any food offered to her, even if the broccoli looked more brown than green.

"Looks...delicious, private Swinson," Hopps stated, grabbing the bowl he offered her and turned, only to frown again at the large drop to the floor she'd have to make with the broth in her paws.

"Is there a problem, Capitan Hopps?" Swinson asked.

"Oh no. No problem," came Judy's reply, though her mind was furiously going through any and all scenario's for her to get both her, and the bowl of soup, off the counter and not all over the floor or worse, on herself. The situation was finally decided for her as Judy's stomach growled once more, and, after grabbing a spoon from a nearby plate, she plopped herself down on the edge of the counter and dug into her meal.

She was pleasantly surprised by the  _broccoli_  soup as she sipped at it.  _Not bad..._ she thought slowly, before diving into the soup eagerly, her stomach urging her to eat as quickly as she could. Even though the looks of the soup was horrifying, to say the least, the taste was the exact opposite.

It wasn't long before she turned back to Swinton, her bowl empty and eyes twinkling as she asked for seconds...then again for thirds a few minutes after that.

On her third bowl, she took much more time to enjoy the meal, grateful that for the first time in nearly 48 hours, her stomach was not pleading to be filled. She began one of her more pleasant hobbies of mammal watching as she gazed around the canteen, trying to place the names of each of the soldiers she saw. It was after a few moments of this, she began picking up on their hushed conversations, her mood souring after each comment that was directed at her.

_"Why do you think Commandante Bogo sent her here? Does he do it to spite us, having to take orders from a rabbit?"_ a grizzly bear asked of a jaguar.

_"Growlcia, there's a new betting pool, you want in?"_  a hyena stated, approaching a table with a wildebeest and a cougar sitting at it. _"We're betting to see when our new Capitan calls it quits."_

_"Of course I'm in,"_  the cougar chuckled quietly. _"Place me down for three days."_

_"Three days?"_

_"Yeah, usually The Fox greets all the new Capitan's in their first three days. I bet she doesn't last half a minute when she see's him."_

_"Oh you're probably right about that. If that's the case, I doubt she'd last two days before..."_

Judy slammed her spoon into her empty bowl, both making a rather large ruckus as she stood, her rather carefree attitude of moments before long gone. The attention of all the animals in the room were drawn to her as she stared down each and every mammal who had spoken ill of her.

_"Do you think she heard us?" the wildebeest whispered to the cougar._

"Yes, I did hear you," Judy stated, causing both the cougar and wildebeest to jump, and their eyes to widen. Again she glared around the room, challenging each and every pair of eyes that met hers until the either lowered or turned away.

_So, they all think that this,_   _Zorro_ ,  _character will run rough-shod over me?_  Judy mused, hopping off from the counter and making her way to the door of the mess hall, her troops making way to let her pass between them.  _They all will see I am more than capable of handling this post._

Judy yanked open the door, and without looking back in, yelled at the assembled troops. "Tomorrow, 5:30am drills for everyone in this room, understood?"

She could have heard a pin drop as silence filled the hall.

"Am I  _understood_?" Judy repeated. "Or would you all like to drill at 4am instead?"

The scraping of wooden chairs against stone riddled the hall as the soldiers stood at attention.

"Understood, Capitan," they all roared, some less enthusiastically than others.

Capitan Hopps turned her head, grinning at the assembled mammals. "Good, I'll see you all at 5:30am, sharp tomorrow morning." And with that, she slammed the door behind her as she left.

Yawning widely as she walked across the parade grounds, Judy managed to feel even more tired than she was before as she made her way to her office, waving to Sergeant Clawhauser who was patrolling the grounds outside.

~~@~~

As Judy walked into her room and locked the door behind her, she finally felt the day catching up to her. Unlatching her sword from her belt, she placed it against her desk. Crossing the room, the rabbit removed her cap, placing it upon a nightstand before grabbing her blue overcoat from over her chair, placing it onto the nightstand with her cap before crossing back to her desk.

Sitting roughly down in her seat with a wearied sigh, she rubbed her paws into her forehead, much of her anger from the previous few minutes dissipating to just how exhausted she was feeling. So much had happened in just the past three days.

_My first assignment..._ she thought, suddenly wondering if accepting this post was going to be worth losing her sanity. With only a rucksack across her back, she'd made the five day journey here in three days, not even sleeping for the past two nights as she was worried about getting here on time. The meal she'd just eaten was the first real food she'd had in nearly just as long, as stopping to eat would mean stopping her mad dash to get here.

At least she made it, and after a good night's rest, she could begin trying to patch up the horrible mess she'd made with the residents of the town, and maybe figure out why they wanted her to fail in her mission to catch that desperado known as, The Fox.

Of course, all that would come after the training drills tomorrow morning with the troops that seemed to respect her about as much, or less, than Bogo did.

"Tomorrow's another day," Judy sighed, letting her paws fall to her desk. "It can only get better from here, right Judy?"

"Well it can't get worse," a voice replied. "Making a kit cry as your first official act as Capitan? Terrible form, Carrots."

"Who is it!" Judy shouted, grabbing at her sword leaning at her desk, only to find it suddenly missing. Twirling around at the sound of pawsteps behind her, she caught sight of a masked mammal in all black approaching her from the other side of the room, their cape billowing behind them. His outfit, all black, including a black sash, cap, and most unique of the assemblage, a black mask covering his face.

Her eyes narrowed.

"So, you're the one everyone has been telling me about. The Fox, or Zorro...whatever they call you."

The fox, and she could tell the intruder was one by the billowing black furred tail and protruding black muzzle, bowed with a flourish of his paw, . "Such sharp skills of deduction Capitan. I'm sure you must have graduated top of your class in order to deduce what you did." The fox smirked as Judy growled, just then noticing what was in the fox's outstretched paw.

Her sword.

"Give me that!" Judy growled, taking several steps forward, her paw out, only for The Fox to draw his own sword halfway out of its scabbard, halting her in her tracks.

"Uh, uh, uh," The Fox tut-tutted, waggling his finger at the bunny. "You broke that poor otter's sword, so I don't think you deserve to get this back until he gets his back."

Judy clenched her fists, before pointing at the fox. "I already made him a new one," Judy growled, noticing the frown that suddenly sparked across the intruder's face. It caused her a small amount of glee at his temporary confusion, only if it lasted barely a second before his smirk returned. "And how did you get in here without me hearing you."

The intruder laughed, irritating the rabbit to no ends as she kept her eyes trained on her sword in his paw. "For a rabbit, you have excellent hearing but terrible eyesight. I was wondering when you'd notice me, since you walked right past me to place your cap upon that stand, but when I saw that you weren't paying any attention to your surroundings, as well as beginning an emotional pity party for yourself, why, I had to step in as I so enjoy parties. Can't have a lady crying without a gentle-mammal there to dry her tears, no?"

"So you stalk women in their rooms as well as attack soldiers?" Judy questioned, leery of the stranger, but wanting to understand her enemy a little more before trying to retrieve her sword.

"Today would be a first for stalking a woman, as I've not had the pleasure of meeting a Capitan of the female persuasion before," The Fox grinned, causing Judy to want to wipe that smirk from his face all the more.

Judy took another step toward her bed, her gaze never leaving Zorro as he leaned against her clothing cabinet, seeming to examine the claws on his right paw, though his left paw never shied away from the hilt of his blade. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Zorro."

"A mere formality, is all," The Fox replied, not even looking up at the Capitan. "I try to introduce myself to all the new comandante's that pass through here, then visit them again as they are about to leave." He pushed himself up from leaning against the drawers, his eyes finally meeting her own. "Which, for some Capitan's, has taken only a single visit as they decided to test my reputation with the sword." The fox laughed, his mischievous smirk growing. "I hope this isn't that kind of occasion, as I'd hate to have to compel a lady of your intelligence and charm in any other way than with words. So hopefully this visit it won't go anywhere past a friendly hello. Especially since I don't want to have to attack a female, and a little bunny at that."

Judy's eye twitched. "You think I can't fill this job because I'm a rabbit, or a female?" Her voice was laced with icy venom as her words shot at the fox like daggers. She had quite enough of everyone from her superiors to her subordinates looking down on her, both figuratively, and physically.

"But of course not," Zorro laughed, grinning as he tossed Judy's sword at her, turning his back to her. She deftly caught it, whipping it out of its sheath in a fluid motion. The Fox grinned as Judy stood in a fencing position, glaring at The Fox's back. "I don't think you can do it as you are a thoughtless, cruel, albeit  _cute_ , little bunny."

_That's...IT!_  Judy grit her teeth as she charged forward, stabbing her sword directly at the intruder. The Fox laughed, dodging the attack, wiping his sword from its sheath in a fluid motion to parry her thrust with his own. Judy danced to the side, bringing her own sword up to meet his as they began an intricate dance with their blades. In the rather large room, the two danced around each other, slicing and stabbing, parrying and defending as Judy went on the offensive.

"How dare you come in here and call me that  _word_!" Judy spat as she sliced at the masked mammal, managing only to cut through the tip of his cape before his sword caught her own and he pushed her's away. Another parry of his blade and she saw an opening as The Fox bumped into a chair behind him, momentarily sending him off balance. A thrust and it would all be over.

Thrusting her blade forward, she felt a smile grace her lips as she saw a bit of shock coming from the fox at her maneuver.

It was short lived as that smirk she was growing to hate overtook his fearful expression. The Fox performed a back flip over the chair, tipping it slightly as he did while riding the edge of it top of it to the ground, with Judy's sword caught inside one of the decorative holes, trapping it against the floor. Judy tugged at her blade furiously, trying to pull it out as Zorro laughed.

"Which word was it that I called you that you don't like?" he taunted. "Was it bunny?" Zorro continued laughing as Judy abandoned her attempt at retrieving her sword, and surprised the fox by leaping forward, smashing her legs into his chest at full force, tumbling him over backwards and across the room. Judy growled as he stood, quickly turning to face her as she slid her foot under the hilt of her blade, easily flicking it up and into her paw, swishing it in front of her.

The Fox smiled. "You are much more feisty than the previous Capitan's, I'll give you that," he stated as Judy darted forward, engaging him again as she made a slice at his leg, only to quickly turn and stab at the other. He jumped sideways, rolling up and over the large bed in the center of the room, Judy giving chase as she jumped over nearly the entire width of the bed to engage him again.

He was an able swordsmammal, Judy would give him that, after he fended off another jab while parrying it with a quick thrust of his own. His attack narrowly missed slicing the tip of Judy's right ear, as she could even hear the subtle whistling of the sword as it passed overhead while she ducked below it. The rabbit winced, feeling it slightly nick her ear, but replied to his assault with a deft Coulé, sliding her blade along his before they stood muzzle to muzzle against each other, each pressing against the other's blade to overpower the other. Judy glared into her opponents eyes, finally noticing the brilliant emerald orbs behind his mask.

Then again, she noticed that insufferable grin, as she grit her teeth while pushing against his blade with her own.

"I guess bunny wasn't the word either then," Zorro replied, the vigilante so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek. Judy pushed him away, enveloping his sword with her own before he parried her assault. Bringing her sword down, their weapons clashed again, as they neared each other for a second time in less than a minute, he leaned in again. "Perhaps it was calling you beautiful then?"

Judy was about to retort when the fox leaned forward the final few inches, placing a quick kiss upon her lips. Judy's eyes widened in shock and as the masked intruder pulled away, he deftly twisted his blade, catching the rabbit's blade at the hilt and knocking it up and out of Judy's paw, disarming the rabbit in one fluid motion.

As she recovered from her shock, and before she knew it, two sword's were now at her throat. She was slow to recover her composure as she backed away, nose twitching as The Fox advanced. It was only when she felt the wall against her back did her wide eyed stare transform into one of steely determination. If she was to die tonight, then she would go out fighting with all the spirit a Capitan should have.

But maybe, she could still pull out of this alive.

"So, will you finish me off like you did with Capitan Koslov all those months ago?" Judy asked, gritting her teeth as she gazed about the room, hoping to find something she could use to her advantage against the intruder, hoping that distracting him like before could work.

Even underneath the mask, Hopps noticed the arch of the fox's eyebrow. "You think I killed Capitan Koslov?"

"Of course," Judy replied, stealing a peak at the blade to her throat, hoping that he'd be puzzled enough to not notice her reaching down for the knife secreted in her boot. "I attended his funeral right after I became a Capitan months ago. This was his last post before you struck him down."

Now the confusion on the fox's face was clearly evident as he retracted both blades from Judy's neck. Sheathing his own, his next move surprised her greatly as he flipped her blade around in the air, grabbing the end while offering the hilt of it back to her. Stunned by the move, she hesitated to grab her sword, retreating a step while keeping her eyes trained on him.

"Whatever they told you I did to Capitan Koslov, I did not do," Zorro muttered, turning his head momentarily as if deep in thought, his paw coming to rest below his chin. "But I can tell you this." His gaze retrained upon Judy with a look of such resolution that whatever he would say next, she knew it could not be a lie. " _I do not kill,"_ he stated slowly, emphasizing each word. "I only persuade...with  _force_  only when pressed. And I only go after those who deserve my wrath."

"Then who was in that casket if not Capitan Koslov?" Judy shouted. The Fox looked as if he was going to respond, when a shout from downstairs startled them both.

_"Capitan Hopps, are you ok!"_  the muddled voice of Sergeant Clawhauser rang through the door. "I heard some sounds and was wondering if you are alright."

Hopps turned her gaze from Zorro, to the door as she yelled a reply. "Zorro is here, sound the alarm."

_"Si, Capitan Hopps!"_  came the stuttered reply from downstairs, followed by a ringing of a bell a few seconds later.

She turned her attention back to the intruder, only to see him now standing in the window, his black tail twitching behind him. He turned to look at her as his paw gripped the outer rim of the windowsill.

"I do not know who was in that casket," he began, pulling himself out the rest of the way from the window. "But the last I saw of Capitan Koslov, he was alive. Something else is at paw, and it is something I think we both should look into."

_Oh no you don't!_  Judy screamed inwardly as he began to leap from the window. Grabbing the dagger from her boot, she thew it with all her might at the retreating figure, only to growl in frustration as it embedded itself next to his paw and not in it as he jumped out the window.

Judy ran towards the casement, muttering as the sound of hoarse cries from outside began sounding throughout the fort. Hopping up onto the windowsill, she spied The Fox as he ran deftly across the rooftop below, jumping onto the barracks wall, running across it and towards the outer wall of the fort. Pounding her fist on the windowsill, she darted to the door as it burst open, Sergeant Clawhauser filling the doorframe, panting heavily.

"Capitan Hopps! I have sounded the alarm, where is the intruder though?" he asked, looking around the room.

"Sergeant, you and I are going to take a squad and track down The Fox," Judy commanded as she grabbed her Capitan coat and hat from the nearby nightstand, buttoning it up as she barreled towards the door, her sash floating behind her as she ran.

"I understand Capitan, but, I have very short legs that do not move very fast," the overweight mammal replied, following her out of the room. "I do not think that I could catch up to someone as swift as The Fox."

Judy stopped and turned at the Sergeant, the same steely determination from earlier alight in her eyes, her exhaustion replaced by adrenaline. "Then I'd suggest you move those legs as quickly as you can, Sergeant Garcia Clawhauser. As tonight will be the last night The Fox is a free mammal."

With that, Judy turned and ran downstairs, summoning the few soldiers who had listened to the sounding of the alarm and bade them to grab torches and follow her. Sprinting through the now opened gate leading out of the fort, she led her troops to where she saw The Fox jump over the barracks wall. Several of the soldiers gasped at what they saw.

A large Letter F carved into the adobe on the side of the fort.

Judy grit her teeth, her head jerking to the right as she spotted a shadow darting off into the distance and bid her soldiers to follow her as she sprinted off after it. In the back of her mind, a quiet nagging thought was asking her instead of following The Fox into the night, to instead get some rest. She shook it quickly from her mind.

She had a fox to catch.

 


	4. Revelations

The early morning sun was just beginning its ascent above the roofs of the village of Zootopia as several figures trudged into town. As they passed through the outskirts of the city, the few residents who were awake at the crack of dawn were shaking their heads and clucking their tongues at the weary looking soldiers, led by their bedraggled looking Capitan Hopps. None of them looked particular happy, some openly glaring at the back of the rabbit leading them. Judy could feel their stares on her, yet she kept to herself, anger and disappointing filling her mind and soul.

_Eight hours. EIGHT HOURS...and we couldn't even catch more than a glimpse of that irritating fox!_

Judy would have been more frustrated, if the weariness she felt wasn't hitting her like a rhino at full charging speed. Ever the perfectionist though, she tried her best to keep the citizens watching the parade of troops slogging past see nothing less than her best, even if at the moment that was droopy ears and her less than enthusiastic gait. She was barely able to keep her feet from dragging with each step, all the while thinking of all the terrible things she'll do to The Fox when they caught him.

The slow procession made its way through the main square, the cheerfully bubbling fountain and laughter of kits a mocking contrast to her and her squad of soldiers as they marched into the open doors of the fort.

Judy turned to her troops, watching them walk past her through bloodshot eyes as she stood at the gate until all her troops made it past her, lining up in two rows before her. "It looks as though we weren't able to catch our prey tonight," she heard some audible grumbles and sneers, while several of the soldiers glared at her with outright contempt. "However," she continued, trying her best to ignore the disrespect shown her. "We shall persevere, and bring this outlaw, The Fox, to justice. Maybe we couldn't do that this last night, but we will succeed in apprehending this _fox._ "

She was glad her ears were already drooping under her hat at the chuckles her speech received, as the outright disdain towards her that these troops were showing was even worse than what her fellow officers had shown her back in San Furcisco.

"I would like to thank you all for your diligence in the hunt for him throughout the night," she continued, feeling her exhausting hitting her full bore as it took all her mental prowess to simply focus on standing. Cutting her speech short, she raised her paw to her brow in a salute. "You may all proceed to your bunks and rest."

Most of her troops just turned and left, not even bothering to attempt to raise their hooves or paws, leaving Judy to slowly lower her own paw dejectedly as they walked away, several disparaging comments being bantered about between the soldiers at their _'fur-brained rabbit'_ and how much of a joke it was to let _'some cute little bunny join the army_.' Her gaze dropped to the ground, shifting her feet in the dusty earth.

"Don't worry, Capitan Hopps. We will catch him someday under your leadership."

Judy's head shot up, her eyes widening at the sudden compliment. Staring ahead, she saw the tired form of Sergeant Clawhauser, panting heavily, but his paw raised in a salute.

 _At least I have one mammal who believes in me..._ Judy thought, a wry smile coming to her face as she walked over to the cheetah, giving him a crisp salute.

"You did well last night, Sergeant," Judy stated, grinning at the cheetah as memories of his exuberance at chasing The Fox all throughout the night had in some small way kept her going as well.  

"Thank you...Capitan..." he wheezed, dropping his paw as he let out a wide yawn and his shoulders visibly sagged. "I'm going to go, lay down now for a quick siesta before my afternoon guard duty." He motioned to the barracks with his thumb, before shuffling away, oblivious to the light laughter from his Capitan.

"You deserve it Clawhauser," Judy stated softly, watching him go, grateful for at least one mammal she could call a friend.

The tired cheetah trudged his way towards the barracks, barely managing to get one paw in front of the other before he disappeared from view. Judy sighed heavily, clasping her paws behind her back as she made her office to file a report about the last night's events for Comandante Bogo. He probably wouldn't be happy to hear her first outing to capture The Fox had been a bust, but, duty called, and the paperwork needed to be written.

Though as she walked into her room, pushing the door open slowly, the first bit of furniture to catch her eye was not her desk and chair, but the massive rhino sized bed filling most of the room. Suddenly the thought of sleep felt much more urgent than writing a report her Comandante would probably never even read.

"Maybe I can take a little nap," Judy muttered, smiling slightly while staggering over to the bed, barely managing to hop on top of it, scrambling as she nearly fell off and back onto the floor. Breathing heavily as she crawled across the comforter towards the pillows, she made a mental note of building some stairs for her to use, even if doing so would cause her pride to take a massive hit. Tossing her hat onto the nearby nightstand, she barely managed to undo her sword, laying it next to her before her head hit the pillow, and she was snoring peacefully; the events of the previous night a hidden beyond her closed eyelids.

* * *

 

The door to his room shut quietly, the only sound being the soft swish of his cape and a little bit of laughter as The Fox gracefully traipsed into his bedchambers.

In all honesty, the fox thought as he spied his partner in crime glaring at him from across the room, he had quite a bit to laugh about as the previous night was one of the most enjoyable he had in months.

"Oh Finnick, you should have seen this poor new Capitan," The Fox chuckled, removing his mask and gloves, cracking his fingers together before rolling his neck until it gave a pleasurable pop. "That cute little rabbit is in quite over her head." Nick glanced at his paws, frowning at how the black ink he used to cover his red fur while gallivanting as Zorro had already begun to smear and disappear.

The desert fox continued his glare before shaking his head, waving his paw at Nick as if he was swatting a fly.

 "Oh come now, don't look at me like that, Finnick. Wouldn't you like to hear me regal you the tales of her frantic all night debacle?"

The smaller fox made an obscene gesture at the taller fox, causing him to laugh all the more as he removed his hat and cape before falling into a nearby chair with a groan, letting himself slide into the comfort of its cushions. With how early it was in the morning, and how draining the all-night chase had been on his body, he was grateful to finally be able to relax for a bit and especially grateful that he'd made sure to sleep before visiting the new Capitan last night.

"I have to say though, she is much more of a firecracker than Capitan Doug," Nick chuckled, grinning madly as he remembered several moments during the chase as she would try and bring some semblance or order to her searching for him. "Still can't manager her troops, though even Comandante Barrister had trouble with this lot."

Nick thought back on the only soldier who had ever given him trouble, or for that fact, nearly caught him in the last eight years he played the role of The Fox. It was the polar bear who had given him the nickname of Zorro after she nearly caught him. He was almost saddened when Bogo had recalled her to deal with the La Cheetaracha gang up north, as she was also the most just out of all the Comandante's who had ever served Zootopia, or crossed swords with him.

Nick crossed his paws behind his head, smiling at the memories of his many escapes over the years, grinning even more at the memories of chasing out one corrupt Capitan after another.

This new rabbit officer, Capitan Hopps, wouldn't last a week.

Nick went over a mental checklist of what he needed to do during the day, despite the tiredness plaguing his body felt, his mind was still as alert as ever. He thanked the late nap he took for that.

"Finnick?"

The desert fox glared at Nick, giving him a common, ’ _what do you want?_ ' stare that Nick had grown accustomed to.

"Shall we go over what we need to accomplish today my dear friend?"

The desert fox rolled his eyes, grabbing a nearby stack of papers, quill pen and inkpot off a nearby desk for the Don. Nick gratefully accepted the papers with a polite 'thank you' and began perusing them with interest. The first few were just party invitations from other Don's in the area. Next came a list of legal matters he would have to deal with in the future, such as water rights for his villa and matters of purchases and sales regarding his vineyard. The final few pages were mainly upcoming parties he was hosting, as well as business meetings he would have to attend in the near future.

As Nick came to the last page, his eyes widened at the comically drawn picture he saw before him. Glancing up at Finnick, he spotted the fox giving him the _'who, me?_ ' look. Rolling his eyes, Nick looked back down at the picture of him as Zorro and a bunny, which looked remarkably like their new Capitan, trading what appeared to be a rather intimate kiss.

He stared up again at Finnick, wagging his paw at the smaller mammal who was grinning like a cheeky devil. The tan fox made several kissing faces while holding his fingers up behind his head like rabbit ears.

Nick harrumphed, only causing the desert fox's grin to widen, before the red fox slammed the stack of papers down onto the nearby desk.

"Sometimes I'm glad that you can't speak, as your pictures are distasteful enough," Nick drawled, laughing as her saw the small mammal shaking his fist at him.

Nick took the opportunity to leave as he saw Finnick head towards the poker for the fireplace in the room, malicious intent in his eyes. "If you need me, I'll be out washing this black dye out of my fur," Nick stated hurriedly as he walked swiftly towards the bathing room. He narrowly dodged the poker as it was thrown at him, the object imbedding itself into the wall next to his head.

It was the second time in less than a day a mammal had tried to run him through.

"I'm going to have to work on my charm a bit," he mused, his eyes suddenly sparkling as his ears and tail raised. "That's it!"

The sudden yell caused the smaller fox to suddenly grow wary of his friend, giving him a cautious stare as Nick began laughing, slapping his paws together before darting over to his shorter friend. Before Finnick knew it, the larger vulpine had picked him up and giving him a rather tight hug.

"Finnick you are a genius-Oof!"

His reward for his compliment was a swift punch to his gut, causing him to groan as Finnick jumped to the ground, dusting off his shirt before pointing a single finger at the red fox, moving it quickly to his neck before sliding it across.

"Alright, alright, no more hugs for the testy fox," Nick groaned, rubbing his stomach, even though a smirk graced his face. "Though that picture you drew, though crude, gives me an idea on how to deal with our new corrupt Capitan."

Finnick kept up his glare, though his interest was piqued, as shown by his raised ears, as Nick sauntered across the room to his dresser, quickly grabbing his favorite set of clothes for the day, a bright green button-up jacket, white lace up shirt and beige pants.

"It appears that our new Capitan has issues with mammals thinking she is not up to her job." Nick stated bluntly, crossing the room to gather up a stiff brush and bar of soap from another drawer in preparation for a bath to remove the ink dying his fur. "Which she isn't up to, in my opinion," Nick added as a afterthought as he walked through a nearby door, depositing his accumulated items onto a polished oak table. "I am of the opinion that if someone, perhaps a kindly Don, could befriend her, then maybe we can see if this new Capitan will be any different from the others, or might be persuaded to be a better role model than what she currently is, hmm? What do you think?"

The shorter fox shrugged, thinking his friend had finally lost it. Shaking his head, he followed Nick into the washroom to help him with removing the final vestiges of his alter-ego. Jumping onto the rim of a four-legged, gold trimmed bathtub, he pulled a lever, the sound of rushing water reaching both their ears as water flowed out of a nearby metal tube and into the tub. Finnick was grateful for the device, and if he could speak again, would have praised his friend for crafting the device so he wouldn't have to carry buckets of water up each time the Don needed a bath to rinse his fur from the black ink he always wore while being The Fox. 

Nick moved behind a changing wall, his black shirt and pants quickly hanging over the top of it. Walking out from behind it, dressed in nothing but a towel, Finnick snickered to himself at the sight of his friend. Nick only liked to dye his tail, arms, face, neck and feet black, leaving the rest of his body the a bright russet hue with brown splattering his paws and back while his stomach was a creamy white. Leaning against a nearby wall, Nick began rubbing his chin with his paw, oblivious to his friends silent laughter.

"I think..." he began, his eyes glimmering in mischief, "This latest Capitan might not be as corrupt as the last few... _maybe_ , she might even be someone we could convince of the errors of her ways."

If he hadn't been born mute, Finnick would have been cackling in laughter at the comment. _All_ of the previous Capitans, every last one, had been rotten to the core, with the minor exemption of Barrister, while the latest, Capitan Doug, had been the absolute worst of the lot.

"I know you think I jest, Fin," Nick grinned, shaking his head as the smaller fox hit the lever again to halt the water as the tub was nearly full. "But I think all she needs is a little guidance, and maybe, _just maybe_ , we might have a good Capitan that could look after the good mammals of Zootopia. We both know I can't keep on doing this forever."

Finnick snorted as Nick removed his towel and slid gently into the tub, sighing at the warmth the water greeted him with. Grabbing his brush and soap from earlier, be began to scrape away the stains on his fur. "You laugh," Nick stated flatly, pausing in his brushing as he waved the brush at his friend. "But I think that Zorro would not be able to dissuade this Capitan from her duty. She will not be one to be driven away, as I have never had any of the previous Capitans ever chase me into the night as their protocol states they should. She is driven, motivated by _something_ , frustrated at others looking down upon her, but she is so determined to prove them wrong that the more she meets The Fox, the longer I believe she'd stay here." He began brushing again, his fur slowly becoming his natural color again as the combination of brush strokes and warm water pulled the dye from his fur.

Shaking his head, Nick lowered his paws into the tub before looking at his friend. "Finnick, I never thought I'd say this, but, I think a more gentle touch is required to either rid this town of its new Capitan, or convince her that it would be better for her to leave. I think I need to hang up my mask for this, as this job calls for Don Nicholas P Wilde to greet our new Capitan, and not Zorro."

Nick went back to his scrubbing in earnest, the plot formulating in his mind on just how to get onto the Capitan's good side, _if she even had one_ , to begin with. Who knows, maybe he'd be wrong and she was simply another arrogant soldier, here to force her will upon the poor denizens of Zootopia like all the previous Comandante's.

 _Then again_...he thought wistfully. _Maybe there is hope for her, and Zootopia, yet._

* * *

 

Judy awoke to a feeling of grogginess, the sun blaring right into her eyes as they cracked open blearily, only for Judy to hiss in pain and shut them again as the harsh light caused her to groan and roll onto her side, covering her eyes with her ears. Blinking several times, she managed to lazily sit up, allowing herself one loud yawn and stretch before slowly pawing her way across the far too large bed, dropping off the side and to the floor below.

 _What time is it..._ she wondered, realizing with a groan that her sword and cap were now above her again. With a half-hearted leap, she hopped back onto the bed, grabbing her sword and cap before jumping back down.

Slowly, her body forced itself awake as she tightened her sword to her belt while placing her bolero upon her head, tightening both into place as she began smoothing out her partially wrinkled uniform she had slept in. She wouldn't know the time until she reached the sundial she had seen in the parade grounds, but the height of the sun coming through the window, she guessed it must have been around noon, meaning the 15 minute power nap she had planned, had turned into wasting away a quarter of the day.

"So much to do, so little time," Judy grumbled, mad at herself for both sleeping so long, and for the root cause of her tiredness.

The Fox...

That slippery devil had evaded her and her troops all last night and was the reason why her second day in command was turning into a fiasco. Several times they had him cornered, or so she thought, only for him to slip away into the dead of night, his laughter ringing behind him as the chase would renew. And through the entirety of it all, she could almost _feel_ that smug grin on his face after each time he would again evade capture.

It was like he was toying with her, playing with her until he grew bored or apathetic. He was in total control of the situation last night, and _that_ was what angered, and slightly frightened her, the most.

_What I wouldn't do to wipe that smirk off his face..._

Descending from her room and down the creaking stairwell, a slight grin wiped away her depressing thoughts at the sight of Sergeant Clawhauser standing guard at the bottom of the stairwell. Though by the loud snores coming from him, she doubted he was doing any significant 'guarding' at the moment.

Judy winced as the stair she stepped on made a loud creaking sound, the large feline jolting violently on his chair. The poor stool he had been using as a seat groaned under the sudden pressure, before a loud cracking sound split the air and the cheetah tumbled backwards onto the floor. Judy saw the remains of the chair after its violent demise, two of the four  legs broken under the cheetah's girth.

"Are you alright, Sergeant?" Judy asked, rushing to his side, her sleepiness suddenly gone at both the sound of the cracking of wood and her worry over her one friend in the barracks.

"Si Capitan," Clawhauser muttered as he pushed himself up off the floor, brushing off his blue uniform and white belt across his chest of both dust and drool from his nap. "It is only my pride which is wounded."

"I'm glad that it is only your pride and not your body," Judy replied with a smile, one which the cheetah returned. Though the moment lasted only the briefest of seconds before worry displaced his grin.

"Capitan Hopps," he muttered, placing his paws together. "I'm so sorry I fell asleep at my post!" The big cat was suddenly prone on the floor, his paws clasped together above his head. "Please don't use the whip on me for falling asleep. I was trying so hard not to fall into slumber after the events of this morning and-"

"Hold on," Judy interrupted, causing the Sergeant to flinch. "What do you mean, _whip?_ "

Clawhauser shuddered at the mere mention of the word, though he seemed to relax at the hesitation in his superiors voice. "Sir, the past few Capitan's have made it so that whoever was caught asleep at their post, received 30 lashes."

Judy visibly gasped. " _30 lashes?_ she blurted out, causing Clawhauser to wince. The comment from the Sergeant shocked her, as even the army manuals, which she had committed to memory, gave only 10 strokes as the harshest punishment for theft of equipment or desertion.

"Who did that?" Judy questioned.

"Capitan's Doug, Koslov and Bandersnatch, Sir," the cheetah stated bluntly as he raised his head from the floor

 _No wonder why moral is so low here..._ she thought, placing her paw to her chin as she thought.

Judy straightened, rolling her shoulders once before staring Clawhauser straight in the eye. "Do not worry Sergeant Clawhauser, I will not be giving you the whip, nor anyone else in this fort. It is not the proper punishment for it, as with proper training and attention, those kind of issues that the previous Capitan's have required the whip for, would become no more under my watch."

The cheetah seemed to melt as his relief rolled off him in waves. "Thank you, Capitan Hopps. My back is still not feeling right since the last few times."

" _Few_ times?" Judy stated cautiously.

The Sergeant nodded. "Si. Capitan Doug enjoyed using it frequently on me, especially shirtless as he said he enjoyed the sound of it against my fur and back."

"Doughy biscuits and gravy," Judy muttered under her breath, horrified at the declaration, noticing that Clawhauser himself seemed at the verge of tears. Placing a paw upon his shoulder, she tenderly looked into his eyes. "Trust me, Sergeant Benjamin Garcia Clawhauser, I will _never_ place the whip against you while I'm here." The cheetah nodded, wiping at his eyes with his paw.

"Thank you Capitan Hopps. You are a much more gentle soul than the others."

Judy smiled, helping the feline to his feet as she walked towards the door. "As you were Sergeant," she stated before walking outside and into the midday sun.

 Standing in the bright daylight, a suddenly very morose rabbit quickly became lost in her own thoughts, though one thought stood out above all others.

_If that is what the previous Capitan's did to their own soldiers...what else have they been doing to the fort, or to the town for that matter, that I don't know about?_

Spying the open gates to the town beyond the fort, Judy made her way towards them, a new purpose to understand more about her new station and city she would learn to call home, driving her to learn all the more about Zootopia and its citizens...

...and why it seems to be such an absolute mess in every way imaginable.


	5. Don Nicholas de la Wilde

After leaving the fort, Judy decided that whichever direction her paws carried her, that was where she'd explore to learn more about the city of Zootopia, and its inhabitants. Having no map, and no idea where she was going was fine with her, as the fort was feeling a bit cramped with all the glares and outright insubordination sent her way. Then there was the news that the Sergeant had given her...

_What can I do to turn around the situation here...?_

With her mind busy trying to digest the information from Sergeant Clawhauser, she didn't realize how far she had walked until the sound of seagulls replaced the chatter of mammals and the feel of cobblestone beneath her paws was replaced by creaking boards and the soft sloshing of waves crashing against piers. The change in temperature and sounds was refreshing and Judy took a deep breath of salty sea air, closing her eyes as she breathed it out slowly.

Then gagged as she felt her collar being tugged from behind, destroying the peaceable mood in an instant.

Judy whirled around, her paw grabbing the arm of the mammal behind her and yanking it down. The unknown assailant tumbled towards her, and all they could get out was a panicked yelp before her fist connected with their chin, knocking them straight onto their tail with a loud whine.

She had her sword drawn within a second following her counter-attack, leveling it at what she saw was a red fox, dressed in bright tan trousers, a regal looking green vest and a similar green striped bolero that matched her own.

"I apologize for saving you from an otherwise soggy afternoon," the fox muttered, pushing himself up to stand, only halting when he found Judy's blade pressed against his throat at his movement. His eyes widened and he nervously sat back down, raising his paws into the air. "Ok, I apologize  _profusely_  for saving you from having to swim a rather long way to shore and I promise never to save another rabbit from plunging into the bay ever again."

With a single, arched brow, Judy gave her sword a slight thrust, the point disappearing into the furt of the fox's neck, warning the  _very_ nervous looking canide not to try anything sly as she turned around, actually taking in her surroundings. Apparently she had travelled so far while collected in her thoughts that she had indeed found the docks of the city and another fact that came along with that. Her right paw was on the very tip of one of the docks, and if she had taken another step, she would have plunged into the churning water below.

Suddenly feeling very embarrassed, as well as horrible for threatening a  _second_  innocent Zootopian in as many days, she let out a heavy sigh, releasing the tip of her rapier from the fox's throat, lowering it to the ground.

"Thank you," he gulped, quickly patting down his neck fur, sighing and wiping his brow as soon as he knew he wasn't bleeding. "As I said before, it is a long swim to the nearest exit to that frothing mess. You'd almost be better off swimming to my father's ship out there though the kelp would have probably ensnared you well before reaching it."

Judy sheathed her sword, feeling her ears begin to burn and very grateful that they were already pressed down by her cap. "I'm terribly sorry," she muttered, and offered her paw to the fox, who gratefully took it with a smile.

"No harm done, see?" The fox made a show of waving his arms to the side. "Maybe a bit of my pride taking a spill, but otherwise, I'm completely intact."

"Still," Judy grumbled. "I shouldn't be so quick to attack like that." She offered her paw out to the other mammal. "It doesn't really suit a Capitan to be attacking civilians...yet again." The last two words she barely murmured, though she noticed that the fox's ears shot up."

"So you're the new Capitan," the fox stated, grinning widely at the paw offered to him, grabbing it with gusto in both of his own, before bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. Judy felt her ears increase in heat ten-fold at the gesture as the fox laughed. "Don Nicholas de la Wilde."

Judy's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but bring a paw to cover her mouth. The Don's of California were a group of  _very_  influential mammals that not only brought much glory to Califurnia, but also much wealth along with them. Attacking one like she had could potentially end her career before it had even started.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry Don Wilde. I didn't know who you were, I only thought I was being attacked and..." She wrung her paws together, casting a quick look at fox when she heard laughter. The Don was chuckling lightly, waving his paw as if brushing off her concerns.

"Do not worry, Capitan," he said easily. "I try not to take offense at anything other mammals do to me. Live and love, eh?" He gave a toothy smile, earning one from Judy as she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

_Though that name..._ she placed her paw to her chin, thinking whether or not she should ask before her curiosity got the better of her.

"You wouldn't happen to the be the son of Jonathon de la Wilde, perhaps?"

"You've heard of my father?" Don Wilde stuttered, his ears perking up, sending his bolero teetering over his eyes. Judy laughed as the fox rolled his eyes, pushing the cap back onto the top of his head. "Sorry about that, it would seem my ears have ideas of their own on what to do, and let's not get started on my tail." He glanced back at the named appendage, watching it swish behind him. "It can be such a traitor to my cause at the most inopportune moments."

"Yes," Judy stated, suppressing a grin at the smiling fox standing before her, mentally reprimanding herself again for being so quick to draw her sword against him. "It is part of the curriculum to study to become a Capitan to know of him and his accomplishments."

Don Wilde scratched his chin, looking amused. " _Really..._ that is quite interesting." His eyes once again caught her own as his grin somewhat faltered. "So, why would they include my father in your studies. It seems quite odd that a navy captain would be in an army officers training manual.

"Well, tactics over land and sea may vary, but the principles remain the same," Judy proclaimed cheerfully, her eyes lighting up. "Admiral Wilde has been instrumental in keeping Califurnia safe from pirates and marauders, and his daring feats on both land and sea were some of the stories I read about while preparing..."

Nick simply watched as Judy began listing off stories of his father's adventures, regaling him with tales and tactics Nick had heard a thousand times before, and probably would a thousand more during his life. In all honesty, he was bored of the conversation since her sword had been pulled from his throat, though knowing that the new Capitan was one who studied profusely was good information that he tucked away for future use. She continued unabated for several minutes, which gave Nick ample time to study her persona and attitude.

After several moments, he concluded that the rabbit standing before him was very different from the one he met last night as The Fox. Whereas last night she was cold and calculating, here, speaking to a 'regular' mammal, she was all smiles and joy. Both days she was quick to draw her sword, yet when she learned of the circumstances of  _why_  he had pulled her back had happened, she quickly apologized and tried to make amends for her mistakes.

In all, Capitan Hopps was becoming a  _very_  interesting rabbit.

"Though I'd have to say his daring raid against Santa Meownica was executed brilliantly" Judy stated, Nick nodding understandably as his mind came back to the conversation at paw. It was also then he spotted a figure walking towards them, bringing a frown to his face which the excited Capitan didn't notice as she began detailing the battle of Santa Meownica in depth.

"I don't think I'd call that my most shining moment," a voice chimed in from behind the rabbit, causing her ears to shoot up and turn swiftly around at the sound, knocking her own cap over her eyes as her head rotated to follow her ears.

As she turned, she removed her cap, only to gap when she saw another fox, this one with fur speckled grey with age, walking towards her, his shoulders capped with the gold braiding which spoke of his rank, that of an admiral in the Califurnia navy.

"Father, I'm glad you found us," Nick stated flatly while holding out his paw towards Judy. "I've seem to have found a fan of yours."

The older fox's smile diminished as he noticed the rabbit in a Capitan's uniform standing before him. "Ah, so you must be Capitan Hopps," he noted dryly, clasping his paws behind his back. His gaze travelled up and down the rabbit once, before resting on her own amethyst eyes.

The rabbit gulped at the sudden coldness she saw in them.

"You've...heard of me?" Judy squeaked, her smile waning slightly under Admiral Wilde's gaze.

He nodded once. "Yes, and so far  _none_  of it has been pleasant to my ears."

Just like that, the remains of Judy's smile was crushed beneath that single statement. Here she was, meeting the famous Admiral who all her instructors at the military academy had bragged about, and in ten words her personal hero who had crushed all stereotypes to get where he was and paved the way for her to become a Capitan, had completely crushed her spirit.

"Oh..." was all she could muster, wringing her cap in her paws while lowering her head as the Admiral turned to face his son. "I'm sorry that you hold me in such low regard."

Feeling his icy gaze still resting upon her, she did everything in her power to stand there and take it, even venturing to gaze back into his cold blue orbs, offering as solemn an expression to him that he was extending to her. She watched as the corners of his mouth ticked up slightly, a barely noticeable smirk forming before he leveled his gaze upon his son.

"I saw you from the deck of the Nighthowler, Nicholas, and wondered why you had come to visit. Last I recalled your sea legs trembled just walking the docks."

"I was actually just on my way to see Weidii, father," Nick stated curtly, returning the scowl that his father sent his way. It was then as the rabbit looked between the two foxes, that Judy noticed Nick's expression had become just as cold as his father's was towards her.

_What is going on between these two?_

"Of course you were," Admiral Wilde snorted, waving off his son's comment. "Nothing like having a son who loves nothing more than his parties, his drink and his women."

Judy watched as Nick's mouth opened, a retort on the edge of his lips before he clamped his mouth shut again. He glanced down at Judy, a frown pulling at his lips. "I would retort, but as we have a lady in our midst, it would seem imprudent to reply." Nicholas smiled as his father's scowl deepened, then turned to face Judy. "As I was saying, I was going to visit Weidii when I saw Capitan Hopps here nearly fall into the drink and pulled her back."

The admiral's gaze fell back upon the rabbit. "A pity you didn't let her fall," he stated rather blandly, shocking both rabbit and fox, the latter who's fur began to straighten in frustration and anger. Admiral Wilde let his comment hang in the air as Nick grit his teeth, clenching and unclenching his paw. For several tense moments, no one spoke, though it wasn't long lived as the admiral coughed into his paw. "Well, I have a ship and family to attend to Nicholas. It's a shame you aren't an able part of it."

Judy's mouth dropped as the older fox turned and walked back up the docks towards a man-of-war docked at the pier.

_He's the one that everyone at the military academy gushed about?_  Judy wondered, watching the aged fox walk up the rampart before disappearing onto his ship. Before meeting him, it had always been a wish of hers to see the famous fox who had broken down stereotypes about the failings of smaller mammals in the military, ultimately allowing her to proceed with her dreams of becoming a Capitan herself.

Now after meeting him, she just felt empty at seeing such a bitter personality, personal insults aside. Feeling a paw on her shoulder, she turned sharply to see Nick staring down at her.

"Don't let what my father said even enter your mind Capitan, he is just an old codger with failed dreams." Nick's gaze lifted as he spotted his father standing at wheel of his ship, talking with a tiger in a similar officer's uniform. "The only thing he cares for is his ship and crew so pay him and his vicious tongue no heed."

Judy nodded solemnly as the Don sighed, though was surprised at the sudden smile that flashed across his mouth. "But let's not think on such depressing matters, no? Let me take you to see my friend Weidii and get some drinks to celebrate your dryness." He flashed her an even bigger smile, causing the depressing fog around her to lift. "I'm sure you two will get along splendidly," he added with a laugh while placing a paw on her shoulder. "Come, let us enjoy one another's company and drink to new friendships!"

A real smile fluttered across Judy's lips, and a slight tinge of redness peaked underneath her fur.  _Friends?_

"Are you sure you'd want to be seen with me?" she questioned, fumbling as she replaced her bolero over her eyes. "Apparently I am not the most well-thought of mammal around her."

"Nonsense," Nick laughed before winking at her. "It is those types of mammals I prefer as friends."

Judy felt her blush deepened as the fox began ambling off down the road. "Are you coming Capitan Hops?" he shouted over his shoulder.

Deciding quickly, Judy dashed off after the Don, matching his stride and hoping that maybe she had indeed been able to make an actual friend in the city.

"So, who is your friend you...ah, we, are going to meet?"

Nick grin broadened as he shot a quick glance at the rabbit. "Oh, Weidii is a feisty one, she is. I'm sure the two of you will become  _fast_  friends."

_Sounds good to have those around here..._ Judy thought with a small smile, stopping quickly as she noticed Nick halting before a rather obscure building which matched with all the other adobe structures along the road. A sign hung from above the door, a picture of a cat smirking down at passerby's.

Nick opened the doors to the building, smiling as he waved his paw forward for Judy to enter.

"Welcome, to the Feisty Feline."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We now have seen Nick's father, and boy does it seem like he has some issues with people. Thank you to Selaxes over on ff.net for letting me use his character for this, and in the next chapter, you'll be seeing another OC from the person who gave me the idea for this story, so I hope you enjoy it when it hits Friday!
> 
> On a side note, how am I doing with this AU? Is everyone enjoying the story so far? Anything they'd like to see in particular?


	6. The Feisty Feline

"Weidii, I'm home!" Nick yelled as he burst through the door of the Feisty Feline. A youthful looking Margay paused in wiping down a nearby table, several empty mugs in her paws, a smile lighting up her face.

"Well, I'll be..." the feline purred, setting the mugs and washcloth down as she strolled over to where Nick stood, stopping several feet in front of him while placing a yellow furred paw on her hip. "I haven't seen you in ages, what brings you around these parts foxy locksley."

"Well, I so happened to be around, plus, I wanted to have you meet my newest friend." Nick's eyes brightened as he stepped aside, finally allowing Judy to be seen. "Capitan Hopps, I'd like you to meet Weidii. Weidii, I'd like you to meet....NO, don't throw that!"

Judy ducked as one of the mugs from the table went sailing right between her ears, the sound of glass shattering against the adobe walls coming only a second later. She looked behind her, finding the spot the glass hit as a new stain spotted the wall.

"Now, now, Weidii, let's not be hasty..." Nick cautioned as the margay grabbed another glass in her paw and wound back.

"Estás loco Wilde? She's in the army, you know what they do to Zootopians!"

Judy's eyes widened as the second beer glass flew towards her. She jumped to the side, barely missing it as it smashed into the floor where Judy was just a second earlier.

_She's got a good arm and good aim..._ Judy thought as she kicked the legs out from a nearby table and hid behind it, just as another glass shattered against it.

"Now hold on Weidii!" Judy hear Nick say, before the sounds of a scuffle came from  the other side of the room, with several yelps coming from the fox and a few loud hisses and growls. Cautiously raising her head above the overturned table, she saw Nick holding onto the struggling feline, whispering into her ears as her arms flailed, a tankard sill in one paw. He also seemed to be slowly rocking her back and forth, chanting something soft and melodic. After only a few seconds, the yellow and brown spotted cat calmed, her limbs going limp as Nick smiled.

"See," Nick stated as he lowered Weidii to the ground. "Feel better?"

"Egh...yeah," Weidii grumbled, casting a glance over at Judy. "But she's paying for the mess."

"Why would I pay for you breaking your own mugs?" Judy stated, before being silenced by a look of panic by Nick.

"What she meant was..." Nick laughed uneasily, while clasping his paws in front of him, "Is that we'll be happy to pay for the damages, right Capitan?"

Judy nodded slowly, if only because of the look of pure fear coming from the fox, and when she noticed the spotted feline glaring eerily at her claws.  "Of course, Don Wilde. Besides, if I am to help this town, I might as well begin where I can."

"You, help?" the margay growled, before laughing and returning to where her washcloth sat. "Aye, you soldiers are all alike. You come in here, all bravado and arrogant, and all leave the same way, stunned and humbled at the blade of The Fox." Judy's eyes narrowed and her foot started thumping against the ground. Just as she was readying a retort, the cat added. "But not until after causing us hurt and mucho sorrow."

Her retort died at the tip of her lips and her foot slowed until it stilled. "What do you mean, Miss Weidii?"

" _Missus,_ Weidii," the margay replied, pointing towards a painting on the wall of two margays' smiling down upon the room. Judy studied the artwork, before her gaze turned back to the feline. "My apologies, madam. I'm still new here and don't know who's who."

"You mean you don't care to know," Weidii spat back before turning to Nick. "I don't know why you are even speaking to her kind after what they did to Finnick, Nick. But whatever game you're playing, stop it. You'll only hurt everyone involved."

"I assure you my friend," Nick began. "I play no games. If I meet someone I like, they are my friend. It's as simple as that, no?"

The cat's eyes narrowed. "You're always playing a game, Nicholas." Before he could reply, she began storming off towards the staircase at the back of the room, each step creaking as she ascended them. "Now leave, the bar is closed. Andale!"

Judy watched the fox's shoulders droop, and a heavy sigh escape his lips as he stared at the spot where Weidii disappeared. Both mammals jumped when a door upstairs slammed shut, and the sound of crashing glass and breaking wood reached their ears. Before she knew it, she was darting towards the stairs, only to feel a paw placed upon her shoulder. Looking up, she stared into the green eyes of Don Wilde, who was shaking his head.

"Please forgive me, I thought that maybe she wouldn't be mad at you for the sins of your predecessors. Apparently to Weidii, though, a Capitan is a Capitan, no matter which animal occupies the uniform."

"What happened?" Judy asked, sparing a glance up the stairs as another sound of breaking wood reached her sensitive ears.

"Her husband defended a peasant that Capitan Koslov drew his sword on for accidentally muddying his boots. So the polar bear drew his sword and killed him for 'preventing justice'." The last two words Nick stated in resignation, lowering his head. "He was a good soul, and it is things like that which are the reasons as to why the Capitan's they send here aren't much liked, no offense to you of course, as you are quite delightful."

Judy noted the compliment, but with how horrified she was at learning what happened to Weidii's husband, she couldn't do anything but just return's Wilde's stare with her own blank one.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here," Nick finally stated, putting his paw on Judy's back as he guided her towards the door.

"Wait..."

Nick paused as Judy halted. His eyebrows rose in puzzlement as he watched the rabbit walk towards the counter, disappearing behind it, only to reappear moments later with a small broom and pan. The fox stood in awe as he watched the Capitan begin sweeping up the remains of the beer mugs, catching every last bit of glass she could find. He continued to watch as she righted the table she had used as a shield, then proceeded to find the washcloth Weidii had dropped earlier, and wipe down not only the table, but the wall where the first mug smashed against.

It only took a few minutes, but by the end of it, Nick was smiling as Judy replaced the broom and pan, while dropping several bills and coins onto the bar counter, his smile widening when he noticed the money deposited was more than _triple_ the amount the broken glasses cost at the most expensive market in town.

"Now we can go," Judy stated, smiling up at Don Wilde, walking past him and out the door. Nick chuckled to himself. There was definitely more to this rabbit than he thought at first glance.

* * *

"Swords," Wilde laughed as he waved a paw at her. "Such things are not needed by individuals like myself. That is what we have brave soldiers such as yourself for, Capitan."

The two mammals had been walking for quite some time after leaving Weidii's bar, conversing like old friends seeing each other for the first time in a long time. The conversation had travelled from one topic to another, and currently, was on the subject of self defense and swordsmammalship.

"Thank you, Don Wilde." Judy bowed her head at Nicholas' latest compliment, allowing a tiny smile to grace her lips. "I'm glad you consider me a brave soldier."

"But of course, Capitan Hopps," Nick chided. "I don't know why you would put yourself down. I bet you could even take on that devious, rapscallion Zorro and throw him through the wringer without him even having time to draw his sword. And it would be about time too that he learned his place was in your jail cell."

The don laughed, slapping the bunny on the back, only to look down and see her with her head lowered, one paw rubbing her other arm silently.

"Capitan Hopps, what is wrong?" the fox asked, moving ahead of his friend and kneeling to see into her eyes. Of course Nick knew what was wrong. The comment he made had been precise and very blunt, as he wanted to see what the new Capitans thoughts about The Fox were, unabridged and uncensored. "Judy, is something the matter?"

"The Fox, is what is the matter," Judy scowled, suddenly staring forward at Nicholas. "I only wish what you said was true, as I could have arrested him last night if it were the case."

"Really?" Nicholas murmured, eyes widening and ears perking up beneath his hat. "What happened? Did that desperado attack you? Hurt you?" The don pressed his paw against Judy's cheek, brushing it gently as if examining for wounds or signs of hurt. Though he suddenly gasped and withdrew his paw when he noticed three scars underneath Judy's fur.

Throughout his years of being Zorro, he had grown to identify claw wounds and which animal had inflicted them at a simple glance. From the length between claw marks, to the depth, length and breadth of the wounds, he could almost instantly identify the culprit. It is why he suddenly felt very shocked when he saw those three long marks across Judy's cheek, the marks of a fox.

"Did he do that?" Nick gulped as Judy turned her head, brushing the fur of her cheek absently.

"No, that is...from much earlier." She paused, collecting herself from her memories while taking a deep breath. "But that is for another day. For now, let us just move onto better topics besides talk of Zorro or of battle scars from long ago."

"It couldn't be from too far back," Nick stated, re-finding his earlier disposition and sliding back into his Don persona. "You are a beautiful young doe, and do not look more than your early twenties at most.

The comment brought a wry smile to Judy's face. "Again, I thank you for your compliment, but shouldn't you know better than to guess at a doe's age?"

"I guess I should," Nick chuckled. "However, that only is for those of old age and have wrinkles, of which you have neither."

"Be glad we aren't around any of them, then," Judy retorted with a smile. Looking around, she realized that she recognized a few of the buildings from her trek into town the day before. "It would appear that we are already back to the fort."

Nick looked up, spying the building far down the road. "It would appear that we have."

"I should best be off, Don Wilde," Judy stated, nodding her head and tipping her hat towards the Don. "It has been a pleasure meeting you, but I have to attend to matters at the fort, and train the soldiers so that they are better equipped to apprehend The Fox. I do not want to have another such experience as last night..." she trailed off, her voice growing soft, before she coughed into her paw, straightening her back and rounding her shoulders. "Within a fortnight, I expect my soldiers to be able enough to where this vigilante will be either in a cell, or in the ground."

Wilde's eyes narrowed, and for a second, Judy thought she saw something familiar about them, before the Don shook his head.

"The Fox..." and in a gesture surprising Judy, the Don spat on the ground next to him. "Excuse for me spitting in front of a woman, Capitan, but _Zorro_ ," he spat out the name like it was something to be reviled, "has hurt the image of foxes like myself trying to prove themselves above being better than our stereotypes and of being more than just thieves and brigands. And with whatever happened last night between the two of you, I will not pry, but anyone who dares attack a woman is a coward at heart."

Judy grinned, causing Don Wilde to look at her in confusion. "Then that is two things that we share in agreement between us, Don Wilde. Trying to best our stereotypes, and a mutual disgust of the outlaw, The Fox."

At that, Wilde smiled. "I'm glad we are both in agreement about those issues, Capitan Hopps. May we succeed at fixing both."

"I agree, Don Wilde," laughed Judy. So far the day, even if it had started off on the wrong paw, and with the horrible news she learned about her predecessors at Weidii's, could be called a success as she had met a fellow mammal that simply didn't judge her based on her being a rabbit. Gazing up at the fox, she couldn't help but feel a slight increase in her heartbeat at the emerald eyes gleaming down at her. She felt a bit of heat pulse through her ears, and quickly moved onto other thoughts, blaming the sudden rise in temperature on the mid-afternoon sun beating down on them.

Nick laughed, smiling softly at the rabbit. "Please, Capitan Hopps. Call me Nicholas, or Nick, whichever you prefer. Calling me Don Wilde will give me an even bigger head that I already have."

"Of course, Don...er, Nicholas." Judy couldn't help but laugh as the Don before her chuckled himself at her verbal mistake. A bugle call sounded from the fort, catching Judy's attention, her ears shooting up at the sound.

"Must be something going on, I'm guessing?" Nick queried, raising his paw to look at the adobe construct in the distance.

"I do not know," Judy replied, quickly placing her black bolero hat upon her head. She turned to face Don Wilde, bowing slightly. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Nicholas, but I must be off."

"Please Capitan," Nick said in a friendly, but reproving nature. "The pleasure was all mine." He bowed as well, but also gracefully slid out his paw to grab her own, placing a gentle kiss upon the knuckles of her white glove.  His eyes twinkled in the sunlight as he stood to leave, yet paused only a few steps away, turning again to face her.

"Do you think we could meet again, Capitan? Maybe for dinner tomorrow evening? My friend Finnick makes a _wonderful_ blueberry cobbler that I think you would love!"

Judy thought over her schedule quickly as the bugle sounded again.

_Better to eat with a Don who enjoys my company, than the soldiers who don't._ Judy thought. _Plus maybe this is the inroad I need to start befriending people in the town, and maybe have them join my cause in getting rid of The Fox._

Making her decision, she smiled. "That sounds most pleasurable, Nicholas."

"Then it has been agreed," he flamboyantly stated, giving another deep bow to Judy's amusement, his tail wagging behind him. Placing his own brown bolero upon his head, resting it comfortably around his ears, he gave Judy a wink. "Then tomorrow at 5pm, you will dine upon the freshest food this side of the Sierra Nebaadas at the splendid Casa de la Wilde. It is the large estate just to the north of Zootopia, if you haven't seen it before."

"You mean that garish green painted mansion atop the hill and surrounded by blueberry bushes?" Judy quipped, smirking and winking at the fox.

"That would be the one," Nick laughed. "I will see you tomorrow at 5pm sharp!"

With just as flamboyant a turn as his bow, Don Wilde sauntered off, walking down the path and greeting people as he past, taking time to hand coins to several children near him. After rubbing the head of one of the kids, the group giggled, before Nick walked off, turning a corner.

Judy couldn't help but grin as he finally disappeared, his tail whipping around the adobe structure.

_Maybe I have a friend here after all..._ she thought, turning to the fort with at a quickened pace as a third bugle sounded. _Though now,_ she grumbled, placing her mental walls back up as she re-entered the fort. _I have to figure out why they are sounding that blasted bugle._


	7. Don't Call Me Cute!

"Corporal Wolford!"

"What?"

"Corporal Reyes Wolford, come down from that tower and tell me why you are blowing that bugle!"

"What was that Capitan? I can't hear you!"

"Corporal...ugh," Judy was impatiently stomping her foot into the dry soil of the parade grounds, a storm of dust billowing around the rabbit and her patience wearing thin at the wolf in the tower who had been blowing the bugle the past five minutes.

"Sergeant Clawhauser."

"Yes, Capitan!" the cheetah stated, wobbling to her side and saluting crisply.

"Go up there and see what Corporal Reyes is blowing that bugle about."

"Up there?" the cheetah replied with a nervous gulp and flick of his tail.

"No, he's in the galley eating some pastries," Judy muttered, pinching her nose as the bugle sounded again.

"Oh in that case, I'd be happy to get him," Clawhauser stated, smiling as he began to walk towards the galley.

Judy slapped her forehead. "Sergeant Clawhauser!" she yelled, startling the cheetah to jump. Grabbing his hat, he quickly turned and went back to Judy's side.

"Yes Capitan?" he asked, nervously glancing at the rickety ladder which led up the tower, as Corporal Wolford let out another long note from his bugle, causing Judy's ears to flatten at the screeching sound. Apparently Reyes wasn't the best bugle player under her command, but was also the only one who knew which side to blow into so it wasn't saying much.

"Go up there and tell him to stop blowing on that infernal contraption and come down."

Clawhauser gulped, then nodded. "Si...Capitan."

He slowly made his way to the ladder, putting his paws tepidly around several rungs before placing one hindpaw onto the lowest one, testing his weight against it.

"Capitan, I don't think this is the best of ideas," the cheetah stated nervously. "I am not that good with heights and this ladder seems quite weak. Maybe we could have Rhinovitch..."

" _Now_ , Clawhauser," Judy groaned, her foot tapping increasing in speed, as well as in the dust cloud forming around her. Thankfully a light breeze was blowing from the ocean, bringing with it a salty sea breeze that dissipated the dust as fast as she could make it appear.

The Sergeant nodded, hemming and hawing as he tepidly made his way up the ladder, the wood groaning beneath his girth. About halfway up the ladder, a particularly powerful gust of wind shifted the ladder slightly, causing him to grasp onto it for dear life as he let out a low whine. Looking down at Capitan Hopps, who pointed up the ladder, he glumly nodded his head and looked up.

"Corporal Reyes Wolford, the Capitan wishes for you to stop blowing on the horn and come down from there."

The wolf looked over the edge of the tower, smiling as he saw the cheetah. "Oh,  Sergeant Clawhauser, nice of you to join me." The wolf put the bugle to his lips and blew harshly, the sound blasting straight into Clawhauser's face. "What was it you said the Capitan wanted?"

"She wants you to let her know why you are blowing the horn, and to come down from there, or at least stop blowing it. Please?" The last word Clawhauser added as an afterthought. "And try not to blow it again in my face like that, it is quite loud and my ears are ringing."

"Oh, terribly sorry Sergeant." The wolf looked horrified for a moment before he strapped the bugle to a rope around his belt. "Certainly, I can come down and meet with the Capitan." The wolf lowered himself over the side of the tower, beginning to climb down as the cheetah's eyes widened.

"Not so fast, Corporal, I have to climb down first," Clawhauser yelped, climbing down the ladder as it sagged and groaned beneath the weight of both mammals. "Corporal Wolford, please not so fast!"

It took nearly a minute for both mammals to reach the ground, Judy impatiently grinding her teeth the entire time and as a crowd of soldiers formed around the tower, many laughing and pointing at the sight of Wolford's tail repeatedly smacking Clawhauser's face as both descended the ladder.

"Oh blessed earth," Clawhauser sighed as his feet touched the ground. He bent over instantly, spreading his arms to hug the dirt. "How I missed your sturdiness beneath my paws."

Judy rolled her eyes as Corporal Reyes Wolford jogged up to in front of Judy, saluting her crisply. "Capitan Hopps, what is it you wished of me." As he said it, he pulled two pieces of cotton from his ears. "Sorry, I usually put them in so I don't cause myself to go deaf from the bugle."

"Then how can you hear anyone telling you to stop, Corporal Wolford?" Judy asked, barely able to hold back her frustration.

The wolf's eyes went wide. His paw shot up as his mouth opened to speak, but then a curious gaze crossed his brows. "You know, that is a very good questions actually."

"Nevermind," Judy groaned. "Why were you blowing that bugle, Corporal."

"Oh," the wolf brightened. "I saw in the distance a group of mammals coming. It appears like a group of soldiers, with a cape buffalo leading the platoon, so I thought I'd give you a few minutes warning."

Judy's eyes widened. "Sweet cheese and crackers," she muttered, before she swiveled in place and yelled at the troops surrounding her. "Comandante Bogo is coming."

The entire parade ground went as quiet as a ghost town, the only sound being the breeze rustling the Zootopian flag at the top of the nearby flagpole. It lasted a good ten seconds before pandemonium broke loose, as a panda, Private Tseu, yelled above the crowd. "I call dibs on patrol duty before Bogo arrives!"

The yell garnered the attention of each and every soldier in the fort, and all at once, all raced towards the weapons hall, soldiers pushing and shoving to be the first to grab their gear and race away to be one of the five soldiers that were supposed to be out on evening patrol in the city.

Judy watched the chaos, her mouth slowly dropping open and her paws doing a poor job of covering it. "Oh no..." she groaned, as soldiers actually began fighting to be the first to leave the fort.

"Do not worry, Capitan," Clawhauser laughed cheerfully. "This always happens when the Comandante visits." The cheetah winced as a rhino officer sucker punched an elephant to be the first to grab all his gear and race towards the fort's only entrance and exit.

"Oh I'm worried..." Judy snarled, finally reaching her breaking point with her troops. Clawhauser heard the gentle scraping of steel on steel, and looked down to see Capitan Hopps with the most angry expression he'd seen from her since she arrived...

...and her sword drawn.

* * *

Private Rhinovitch grinned as he thundered towards the massive gate that led to the city. The past few times the Comandante had visited, he'd been able to snag patrol duty, signified by the dull orange-ish brown vest he currently wore. It was considered the best duty at the fort, as he never actually did any patrolling. All he had to do was make it out of the fort, go down a few blocks to Weidii's Pub and take as many drinks as he wanted.

_Nothing that Margay could do about it if she wanted to anyways..._ he laughed inwardly, getting a mental picture of the small cat trying to push him out of the bar.

His attention turned to the doors of the fort, his eyes widening when he realized they were slowly being closed by Corporal Wolford and Sergeant Clawhauser. Rhinovitch barely managed to skid to a stop as they shut, a tiny grey rabbit standing between him, and the drinks he could almost feel on the tip of his tongue.

"Rabbit, why don't you get out of my way so I can do the work a real soldier does."

Capitan Hopps stood still, her sword drawn and leveled at the rhino. He chuckled as he saw the tiny sword in the bunnies paw, patting his own sword at his hip. "Nice toothpick rabbit. Now get out of the way before I act like I can't see you."

Judy's glare deepened, and for a tiny moment, a shiver of fear went through Rhinovitch's spine at the terrible gaze the rabbit was staring him down with. The two stood facing each other, as the rest of the soldiers formed a half circle around them. Neither backed down, and it appeared neither would.

Finally, the rhino snorted, breaking the silence. "You really want to challenge me, fluff."

Judy's eyes narrowed even further, her anger almost reaching its peak. "The correct designation is _Capitan_ , Private." She twisted the sword in her paw, the blade catching the sun from the slight movement. "You'd best remember that, and if you want to remain in the army any longer, you'd almost best remember that _you_ will do what _I_ tell you to do, and _when_ you're supposed to do it. Understood, Private?"

"I understand all right," the rhino snorted, pulling his sword from his sheath. The hilt itself was nearly as big as Judy was tall, and the sword itself was nearly the height of Corporal Wolford. "This cute little bunny somehow managed to find a soldier's uniform and is playing army."

Several chuckles could be heard from the gathered soldiers, egging the rhino on as he grinned.

"You will _not_ call me cute again, Private."

The rhino's chuckles turned to hearty laughter. He leaned down to better stare at the rabbit, his shadow casting a long darkness over her. "And what is the cute little rabbit going to do about it." He reared back his head and laughed, grinning as he brought his sword in front of him. Looking down, confusion suddenly dawned on his face when he noticed the rabbit was gone.

Grunting, he went to sheath his sword. "Guess the cute little rabbit got scared and ran back to her burrow."

"Don't call me cute!"

In his entire life, there were only a few moments when Rhinovitch could remember not remembering a certain event. When he fell off a bridge in Pawterrey and forgot nearly a week of what led up to that event. At his 17th birthday when he had gotten into a bar fight and had a table smashed over his head by an elephant and ended up having to be told the story by friends to even gain a recollection of that night. Both events he shouldered with pride, as they showed off how tough he was to his friends and family. Rhinovitch wasn't one to go down without a fight it was said.

As he turned to his left, spotting the grey and blue blur of the Capitan hurtling towards his face, it would be the only thing he would remember of the previous month, as well as his name, rank, mother's maiden name and species.

A loud 'crack' sounded across the parade grounds as Judy's foot made contact with Rhinovitch's face. All the soldiers stood with gaping maws as the Capitan used the rhino's own face as a springboard to jump straight up above him. Groggy from the first assault on his face, Rhinovitch looked skyward, only to be blinded by the sun, blocking out the rabbit descending towards him.

In what would later be nicknamed the Rhino Destroyer by the soldiers in the barracks, everyone watched in awe as Judy turned mid-air, smashing first her left foot into the rhino's horn, causing a massive crack to splinter through the object, then everything went silent as a roundhouse kick with her right foot smashed straight into the side of Rhinovitch's head.

Judy landed on the ground, a small cloud of dust billowing up around her as she got to her feet, dusting off her paws and adjusting her cap as if nothing had happened. Finally looking us, she stared into the face of Rhinovitch, who had the stupidest smile plastered across his maw.

" _That_ ," Judy stated, raising her voice so that all could hear her, levelling her gaze at nearly every soldier one by one as she walked towards Rhinovitch, finally glaring down the still stupefied rhino. With a nimbleness born from being a rabbit, she leapt straight up, stopping just in front of the rhino's face and blew a puff of air at him. The crack formed in his horn fractured again, the tip breaking off as with a slowly growing groan, the rhino fell backwards, shaking the ground as he hit. Judy landed barely a second later, waving the cloud of dust and dirt away from her face.

With the shock of what had just happened still working itself through the now ice cold veins of the remaining troops, Judy coughed loudly to gain their attention. All the soldiers quickly turned to face her as she grinned.

"...is why you do not call me cute. Understood?"

At once, all the soldiers came to attention, paws and hooves snapping to salute with a volley of, "Si Capitan," following.

Judy smiled. "Good, now prepare for Comandante Bogo's arrival. Clean yourselves up and get moving, now!"

"Si Capitan!" all the soldiers said in unison, before rushing off to where each was supposed to be stationed for the day.

Judy grinned. _Maybe I might be able to turn this place around after all._


	8. For Whom the Bugle Tolls

The empty, tumbleweed and cactus filled countryside before him was giving way to scattered homes placed among the brambles as Bogo and his entourage rolled their way down the dusty road into Zootopia. After his group had crested the hill, he grinned, spotting the adobe buildings that marked one of the newest, yet most important of Califurnia's cities, due to its port and agricultural economy that fed the rest of the colony.

Bogo grinned, his wagon jostling as it wove its way through the outskirts of the town. Two soldiers peddled the contraption, allowing for him to make the 5 day journey in just two days, causing his massive grin to widen further as he was certain he had beaten that pathetic rabbit to the town. He hadn't even seen her along the road, which he viewed with some amount of dissatisfaction, as he had hoped he'd have been able to see her just so he could discharge her from the army and get rid of the pest all together. He still had several other cities to visit, so shortening this trip to just firing Capitan Hopps would even make the minor stop worth it.

"Lieutenant Hooverson?"

"Yes sir?", one of the bison peddling the contraption responded.

"Put us down just outside the town square for our entrance. I want to make a statement as I enter."

"Sir, yes sir," the bison saluted, beginning to peddle faster. The carts behind them, carrying the rest of the Comandante's gear, began to match his speed, as well as the horses guarding the caravan that were trotting alongside each wagon.

Comandante Bogo scratched his chin, idly musing about what he might find at the fort when he arrived. Several other promising officers had joined him in this tour of Califurnia, so if she wasn't there, he could simply assign one of them to the town and be down with this fiasco the Governor had pushed upon him. The cape buffalo chuckled, imagining the poor rabbit's face as she showed up to her station, only to find her position already filled and her worthless pelt hung out to dry.

Leaning back into the seat of the wagon, he placed his arms behind his head. If the inspection of the fort was short enough, maybe he visit Moovin's pub and see if Mooweenia was in before leaving for San Pawdro.

The wagon lurched to a stop, Bogo's musings cruising to a stop as he noticed his wagon now was near the very center of the city, the fort just within view.

"We have arrived Comandante Bogo."

The cape buffalo grunted his response, waiting for the door of the vehicle to be opened for him by one of his soldiers before stepping out of the cart. From where he stood, he could stand and watch the entire city center, all the way from the fountain, to the fort and beyond. Several of the citizens of the city saw the massive mammal in his impressive uniform and quickly ran inside their shops and homes, while several others could be seen peeking from behind windows.

Snorting in amusement at the site, Bogo began forward, halting a step when he noticed two soldiers standing at attention in front of the open gates.

"That's strange..." he muttered, walking towards the soldiers. At no point in any of his visits to Zootopia had there ever been sentries at the entrance of the fort. It was a matter that he had brought up with Capitan Doug and Capitan Koslov, so maybe it had been fixed before Doug's departure? _Or maybe their issues with The Fox have gotten worse?_ Bogo mused sourly.

As he and his entourage approached the gates, the guards saluted crisply, catching him momentarily off guard as they shouted a joint greeting at the Comandante. Now thoroughly confused, Bogo finished walking the rest of the way to the front gate, turning to enter and halting at the sight.

"Welcome to Zootopia, Comandante Bogo."

His jaw dropped.

* * *

_*Fifteen minutes earlier*_

Judy watched as her troops scattered across the yard, and as an elephant she had yet to learn the name of, dragged Rhinovitch towards the medical ward in the fort, the doctor, a smaller skunk, running out to greet them.

"Sergeant Clawhauser," Judy stated, trying to control her foot thumping in nervousness. The cheetah jerked to life nervously, tail twitching behind him. "Could you rally the men to attention in two rows lining the entrance to the fort for me? I have some business to attend to before Comandante Bogo arrives."

"Si, I can do that for you, Capitan Hopps," Clawhauser stated with a salute. Judy didn't even wait for him to finish before she jogged to her quarters, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door, letting out a huge breath she had been holding, as well as grabbing her head in her paws as her eyes went wide.

_Why did I do that..._ she grimaced, thinking of how savagely she had attacked Rhinovitch. Not even at the academy had she given it her all after what had happened to her four years ago. Or rather, what had happened to...

Judy shook her head of those thoughts, pushing them back down into darkest corner of her heart and mind she could hide them. Even though she knew her actions were justified, and any military court within Animalia would sanction her actions as the rhino had been about to run his sword through her, yet she still couldn't bring herself to believe she would ever lay a paw on one of her own men.

It was something she had just _swore_ to Clawhauser she wouldn't do, and yet not even half a day later she had already broken another promise.

Judy gently massaged her ears, closed her eyes and began counting up to fifty to calm herself. After what Sergeant Clawhauser had told her earlier, with how previous officer's had acted, she really didn't want to be like them in any fashion.

So she began to pace, and to think about how to diminish the fear of her wrath from her troops, and replace it with respect and honor.

_Fifteen...sixteen, seventeen..._

She had broken Rhinovitch's horn, and that was the first thing that needed to be amended. The most humiliating, shameful thing to do to a rhino was to break their horn, and she had just done that to him in front of all the soldiers at the fort.

"Note to self, apologize to Rhinovitch and the other soldiers."

_Twenty seven, twenty eight..._

"I am not like them," she muttered quietly. "I will _not_ be cruel like them. I will atone for my actions, regardless of whether they were justified, or not."

She had to figure out a way to earn her soldiers respect, without resulting to violence or threats. Sure, her demonstration of her abilities in taking down Rhinovitch might give her loyalty for a day, maybe a week, but...

_Forty three, forty four, forty five..._

"I can do this...I can be better than this. I can be _better_ than the previous Capitans. Change starts with me."

_Fifty..._

With a deep breath, Judy pushed herself off the ground, ready to face Comandante Bogo as he arrived. Dusting and straightening her uniform as she put on the biggest smile she could, she headed for the door, only to have her smile falter as she reached it. Whatever reason Bogo was here, it was bound to be bad news for her, and something she wouldn't be looking forward to.

"This has been your dream Judy. You can do this," she psyched herself up. "You've earned this, and there is no way anyone will take what you've worked so hard for, away from you."

The rabbit opened the door, taking one final deep breath before walking outside, shutting the door behind her and padded towards the parade grounds.

"Oh, I thought she'd never leave..." came a groan from the rafters, as a dark shape jumped to the floor. Standing up made several loud pops come from his back and as he stretched, more came from the rest of his joints and bones.

"You really need to stop doing this to yourself Nicholas." The fox crossed to the window, lifting the curtains a fraction to glance at the assembled troops.

The Fox frowned, tail swishing behind him as he studied the rabbit, standing at attention at the end of two long lines of soldiers as a large buffalo he recognized came into view. "Ah, what do we have here?" Nick surveyed the large train of soldiers marching into the plaza, following after the rather large comandante. He was _very_ much interested in seeing how this would play out, as the rabbit, from his current observations, seemed somewhat jittery, which was an emotion she hadn't displayed when facing off against him the night before.

His frown furrowed as Nick tried to juxtapose the actions of yesterday's rabbit, with the bunny he walked and talked with today. They seemed like polar opposites of one another, pure contradictions all bundled up into one cute, fluffy, angry and surprisingly strong, little package called Capitan Judy Hopps. Yesterday she had been so surly, and as he had watched her destroy Remmy Otterton's toy sword, Nick had believed that she was just as heartless as the previous Capitan's, and was in need of immediate removal. So he had switched his target from that night, instead of following Rhinovitch into town to remove an ulcer from the fort, he had gone for her to cut out the cancer in the heart.

But that was yesterday. And even her comments made him wonder about her true concerns for the city as they fought. She was so sure in her belief that he had killed Capitan Koslov, even though the last view Nick had seen of the bear, was him leaving the fort late one night after receiving what appeared to be an urgent letter from someone.

"Aye, yi, yi...the letter you dumb fox," Nick groaned, mentally slapping himself at being so distracted by the bundle of fluff currently looking like she was being chewed out by her Comandante. As it appeared by the muddled yelling that rolled out from underneath the door that the current haranguing of the bunny would take a considerable amount of time, Nick loosened his hat and set it upon the nearby table, before going through drawer after drawer in the hopes of finding that now months old letter.

"As long as it hasn't already been destroyed..." he grumbled, while taking a ledger book out of a desk, thumbing through it before pausing on a page dating back to Koslov's reign.

"Interesting..." he thought, noting the strange number of expenditures and receipts that were going back and forth between him and an unnamed contact. As he flipped through more pages, a pattern started to emerge. Nick's grin was coming back, only to be replaced yet again when the ledger went blank halfway through Capitan Doug's rule over the fort. "What the..."

The fox flipped pages back and forth, holding back a snarl when the trail of receipts went cold. He went back to the last entry, scrutinizing the page carefully. It was only then he noticed a torn edge at the very bottom of the book, and as he looked closer, he noticed there were actually quite a few pages missing that had been torn out.

"You, my little friend," Nick spoke to the book, closing it with one paw. "Are coming with me tonight, where we will dine together on the fanciest of rigatoni alfredo and sip the most divine of champaigns together under candlelight."

Nick cackled at his own joke, stuffing the book into a cross body bag he carried with him. Sure he was still missing the letter, however, this book would be a helpful substitute until he could decipher who the mystery cliental who were in business with the previous capitans were.

He doubted Judy would even know the book was gone, probably rack it up to another careless mistake or oversight from previous commanders of the fort. She probably didn't even know it existed yet, as his escapades the night before had probably thrown her regimen so off kilter that it would take days for her to remember everything she should have done her first day as Capitan over Fort Zootopia.

"That poor rabbit," Nick chuckled, beginning to sift through paperwork again. He paused though, as what he said resonated through his mind.

_Why am I taking pity on her?_

That singular idea stood out to him. He had _never_ pitied any of the previous soldiers in charge here. He felt anger towards them, but never felt sorry for them. Did his current feelings have something to do with today?

Hopps _had_ been quite kinder today than what he had seen yesterday. When he met her today under different circumstances, she was an entirely new creature. Kind, affable, _warm..._ she was everything she wasn't the night before. She had even been kind to his father after he had literally relegated her to nothing in the older fox's eyes.

Her reaction to Weidii was even more surprising, and when Nick thought it would have broken her, it had done the complete opposite. Capitan Hopps' response wasn't to return the margay's verbal and physical assault with one of her own, but was instead an effort to try and calm and assuage the hurt feline. Then to Nick's astonishment, she had even paid for all the damages incurred, _and_ cleaned up the mess herself, something Nick hadn't thought to do.

"This rabbit is quite interesting," Nick mused, fingers drumming against the bag on his side. He hadn't bothered to change into his disguise, as when he had heard the bugle call at the fort, he had recognized the notes as one of an approaching emissary, not a call to battle. It meant that all the soldiers would most likely be scampering to leave as soon as possible to avoid meeting with a higher ranking soldier than themselves. A perfect opportunity to pry into places he shouldn't be.

He was a fox after all. Being sly was of second nature to him.

Feeling a bit apprehensive, Nick walked back over towards the window, peeking out to notice that the yelling seemed to have stopped, but looking at Capitan's paw gestures, the argument was far from over. With how she stood, poise perfect, back straight, all while staring down a mammal most likely a hundred times her weight was somewhat...

_Bewitching._..he thought with a smile, though just as quickly as that thought came, he tried to toss it aside. There was no need for thoughts such as those, and with his luck, she would chose a side and become corrupt, just like all the others had.

_It's just a matter of time..._ he thought sadly. Clarice had been a nice, humble Capitan before she disappeared. Maybe, this latest one might channel the panther before her? Nick walked back over to the stairwell, pausing as he heard voices nearing the door.

_"You better have a good explanation for this Hopps..."_

_"I can assure you sir, that..."_

Nick filtered out the rest of the conversation as he dashed upstairs, his tail disappearing from view just as the doorknob turned.


	9. Chapter 9: Twisted Intentions

The buffalo stared into the fort in utter shock. Not only had the cursed bunny made it to Zootopia, but apparently also had somehow managed to get the usually insubordinate troops to be prepared for his surprise visit.

_How in mammaldom did she do that..._ he thought, striding forward into the fort in between the two lines of saluting soldiers. He saluted crisply, dropping his hoof and was again amazed to see that the soldiers all dropped their salutes at nearly the same time as well.

It infuriated him.

His shock turned to disgust as he focused his rage on the tiny bunny standing at attention at the end of the parallel rows of troops, paws clasped behind her back.

"Why are you here," Bogo demanded as he drew to stop only a few feet ahead of the rabbit.

"Comandante Bogo, sir," Judy began. "This is your welcome to the city, and as the Capitan of Fort Zootopia, it is my honor to welcome-"

"No," Bogo interrupted, glaring at her. "Why are  _you_  here." The cape buffalo noticed the rabbit flinch slightly before answering.

"Sir, you told me that this was my new assignment."

"No," the Comandante replied with a snort. "I told you your assignment was to catch The Fox, and you simply jumped to conclusions about your position as Capitan here."

"With all due respect sir," Judy retorted, a hint of anger tinging her words. "You told me that since none of your other Capitans wanted the position that I could have it."

"Is that what I said, rabbit?" Before Judy could reply, Bogo straightened and turned to his entourage that had joined him on his tour of Califurnia. "Who here thinks they could do a better job of policing this city than this bunny could, raise your paw!"

His shout echoed across the fort. Slowly, one by one, the assembled Capitans, lieutenants and even a few of Bogo's Corporals raised their paws or hooves. Some held leering grins at the bunny, while others were chuckling to themselves.

"Now again, by raise of paw, who here thinks that Hopps here will make a great Capitan?"

This time, the paws fell swifty, and with the lowering of each arm, Judy felt more and more crushed inside. Finally, as the last paw lowered, Judy felt a bit of her die on the inside.

_They truly don't care for me..._ she thought, turning to see if anyone had their paws still raised in support of her. At the end of the rows, she saw the raised paws of Clawhauser and Wolford, a whisper of hope building inside of her until two bison officers that Bogo had brought with them walked to each mammal and forced their arms down. Clawhauser attempted to raise his free paw, but was halted from doing so when the Bison forcibly grabbed it and yanked it behind his body, getting a howl of pain from the cheetah.

Judy saw the pain in Sergeant Clawhauser's eyes, and took a step forward, only to have Bogo move in front of her.

"Do you see anyone that supports you in this position, bunny?"

Judy narrowed her eyes, raising her paw and pointing it at the Comandante. "Yes, I saw mammals that supported me, and I'm sure that given more time here that I will have every soldier here fully behind me, one hundred percent."

"Really? You actually think that?"

An amused smile graced Bogo's lips and the harsh sound of laughter came from him, then spread to the rest of his officers and group.

"Did you hear that everyone?" Bogo shouted, loud enough to be heard throughout the barracks. "She actually thinks she can be a real Capitan."

The laughter increased in volume, with even some of her own soldiers joining in. Judy was beyond mortified by the scene, as she  _knew_  she could lead this station. She  _knew_  that given time her soldiers would grow to love her.

She  _knew_ , that she could catch Zorro. Even if it was the  _last_ thing she'd do.

"Give me two months."

Bogo's laughter died down as he stared down at the bunny. "What did you say, Hopps?"

"I said," Judy repeated, sending her own glare back at him. "Give me two months to prove to you, and everybody else, that I will be a complete and utter failure."

Bogo snorted in amusement. "What ever do you mean?"

Judy pointed at the buffalo. "I said  _exactly_  what I mean. You think I'll fail..."

"Along with everyone else," he snorted, a comment which Judy chose to ignore.

"Again, you think I'll fail. And maybe you're right. I could fail. A lot of things could happen in two months." She narrowed her eyes, grinning at her superior officer. "How long did the other capitans last in this station?"

Bogo gazed down at her, wondering exactly how long each of the previous capitans had served in Zootopia before calling it quits.

"Four months," Judy supplied for him, holding up one paw. "I'm only asking for half that time to prove I can't handle this position."

She grinned when the frown on the buffalo's face intensified, knowing that she had him. "Besides," she stated, pointing up at her Comandante. "Maybe if you keep me here long enough, you can have Zorro do your dirty work and get rid of me for you. How would you like it if he was your weapon of humiliation against me... _sir._ "

Bogo paused, thinking over the request. It was a good request, he gave her that. No matter what happened, he'd be rid of her within two months. And with this section of Califurnia being the most dangerous, he was sure that she'd probably be killed or suffer some sort of crippling injury way before then.

He smiled wickedly.

"I believe we have a deal, Hopps."

Judy reached out her paw, realizing that for the first time, he had actually called her by her last name, instead of just referring to her as 'rabbit', 'bunny', or her personal least favorite, 'sidewalk paste'. Bogo took it in his hoof, shaking it once before rising back up to his full height.

"Now, sir," Judy began. "You must have had a long journey, and I know that I have refreshment in my quarters."

"Splendid," Bogo replied, clasping his hooves behind his back as he followed the Capitan to her quarters.

"I also have an update on The Fox, for you as well."

Bogo snorted. "Already? How so?"

"He paid the fort a visit last night, and myself and a platoon of soldiers chased him away."

"Really? You better have a good explanation for this Hopps..." Bogo growled.

"I can assure you sir, that..." Judy pushed open the door to her quarters, "I will have The Fox caught by the time you come back to the fort in two months time."

The two entered her quarters, and as Judy went to the cupboards to fetch some glasses for the two of them, she heard, and  _felt_ , the front door slam. Turning back to the sound, her eyes widened as she felt hooves around her neck, the rush of wind as she was picked up off the floor, followed by the pain of being slammed against the adobe wall. Caught inside the massive hoof of Comandante Bogo, she couldn't do anything as he smiled at her.

"I didn't come in here to share drinks with you, rabbit," Bogo began, raising his free hoof to point into her face. "I came in here to  _remind_  you that I...don't...like...you."

"And why would that be... _sir?_ " Judy gasped out as his grip tightened around her body. Having his hoof nearly completely grip her entire frame reminded her of just how small she was compared to him.

"I only agreed to our little wager, because I would be happier to see you come back to San Furcisco in a tiny cedar box than you succeed at anything. And with your predisposition to making dangerous and stupid decisions, being here for two months should be enough time to show you that being a soldier is no job for a cute little bunny."

Even through her current pain, Judy managed a smirk. "Is all this about me humiliating your  _favorite_  officer Wolvington a year ago by both disarming  _and_  slicing his belt off so his pants would fall?" Judy asked. She took that in the affirmative when Bogo's grip tightened a fraction and the massive pressure on her body increased causing her to gasp. She pawed at the hoof, trying to loosen it but only succeeding in hurting her paw on the sharp keratin of his hoof.

"No," Bogo replied in an eerily quiet voice. Moving closer to her to where she could feel each and every breath the buffalo took, Bogo's scowl grew even more furious. "All this is because I don't have another officer to do that job here, or at least  _want_  this position so at one of our country's greatest cities, I have the most pathetic of officers. Does that sound like something I'm  _happy_  about?"

Suddenly, Bogo's grip around her body loosened, and she dropped to the floor in a rough pile, gasping for air and rubbing at her neck. Through the pain, she stared up into Bogo's eyes, still trying to show him respect as his subordinate, but finding it hard to do so after what he had just done. His harsh glare was returned with her own of fiery indignation and her determination to prove him wrong.

"I'll prove you wrong... _sir._ "

"Of course you'd say that," Bogo snorted. "Which is why I'm going to be leaving someone here to keep a careful eye on you."

Judy's thoughts were broken for a moment as the implications of what he said fell upon her. Her eyes widened, at first in surprise, then narrowed in anger. "You're giving me a babysitter?" she said in the most accusing tone she could muster while gulping air after nearly being crushed. "Why?"

"I'm glad you asked," he replied, clasping his hooves together. "I'll be leaving Magistrate Dawn Bellwether here to watch over the fort. She'll be under my immediate command, and her word, is law. I expect you to follow any, and all orders from her." Bogo paused, his grin becoming a smirk. "And if you don't, you'll be brought up on charges of insubordination and accorded the proper and due punishment. Understood,  _rabbit_?"

Judy nodded, still rubbing at her neck.

"Excellent," Bogo hummed. "She'll be making sure you take every risk possible to alleviate me of your nuisance. Zootopia is a dangerous city after all. Who better than the first bunny Capitan to try, and fail, to be rid of them."

Judy felt her world closing in around her and it was suddenly becoming harder to breathe, and not because of what Bogo had done earlier. She was still the Capitan, however, it now was a title in name only at the cannonball he just dropped on her. "Why would you do this? Do you have something against the soldiers here to have them take unnecessary risk? You know that for patrols more than one soldier makes up a platoon."

"I have nothing against them," Bogo growled, lowering himself until he was only a few feet away from her. "I just despise you. If Magistrate Bellwether says you need to do a single patrol, you  _will_  do a single patrol. If she asks you to single pawdedly take on a band of marauders..." Bogo sneered at her, "Then you will do it and be grateful for the opportunity. Got it?"

Bogo turned to leave, crossing the room quickly. "Magistrate Bellwether will be here in ten days, so I suggest you enjoy your last few days of freedom as well as you can."

Judy slammed her fist on the floorboard, needing to vent her frustrations as Comandante Bogo left, the buffalo slamming the door on his way out with enough force to cause a breeze to blow through the room, knocking a few papers into the air and a hat to fall off of the table. It lazily drifted to directly in front of her, though in the rabbit's despondency and sadness that washed over her in waves, she didn't notice anything else in the room but herself.

_Why me..._ Judy thought as she, finally finding herself alone, let the huge weight and despair hanging over her to complete its humiliating destruction of her psyche. The tears fell freely as she hung her head. Tears flowed from the pain she felt, both physically and emotionally as her dreams, which before had flown proudly like flags in the wind, now felt more like ripped shreds of cloth caught in a thorn bush.

She had reached her goal of becoming a Capitan, but for what? She couldn't understand why Bogo hated her so much, as to imply that he was willing to put her in situations to where she could die for no reason at all but to satiate what? Some sick hatred he had towards her?

"What is wrong with him," she muttered. At first she thought his endless anger towards her was because she was just what he constantly reminded her she was, a rabbit. And that rabbits usually did nothing more than farm, not join the army and most certainly not aim for the rank of Capitan. Maybe she had worked  _too_  hard at the military academy, or somehow ticked him off enough for him hold such a vendetta against her?

But this took hatred to a whole new level. She had heard of commanders throughout history ordering their troops into hopeless situations, but only with a strategy to somehow bring a victory out of the jaws of defeat. History was replete with such actions, yet she couldn't fathom a single instance when a leader of soldiers would order a single one of his troops to purposefully put themselves into situations that would get them injured, or even killed. And even putting them under the control of a Magistrate who could order then around willy-nilly to whatever fancied their whims on a given day.

Judy shook her head. This wasn't what she signed up for, but, she was in the thick of it now, and couldn't back out. She pushed herself off the ground, feeling her chest ache after Bogo's assault. Shuffling forward, she stopped when her foot caught onto something beneath her. Gazing down, she noticed a familiar looking bolero beneath her paw.

"Isn't that...Don Wilde's cap?" Judy said to herself as she gently picked up the hat. Flipping it over, she noticed an inscribing inside of it, which, even through the subsiding pain in her chest, she managed a smile at what it said.

" _Owned by the most handsome of foxes this side of anywhere. Don Nicholas Diego de la Wilde."_

"Best get this back to him," she muttered as she heard a bugle sound outside, and could only hope that it was Comandante Bogo leaving. She silently hoped that the next two months would be the longest of her life, just so she wouldn't have to see that doubting smirk of his again.

She'd prove the cape buffalo wrong, just as she proved everyone else wrong in the academy, then on through officer's training school. She wasn't just a bunny. She was a soldier, and as one, she'd go above and beyond what was expected of her.

"I said two months to capture The Fox," Judy stated, rising to her full height while brushing at the moist fur of her cheeks. Her body still hurt, but she couldn't let that stop her. "I won't capture him in two months. I'll capture him in one..." Judy strode towards the door, cap in paw as she began planning on how she'd be able to overcome this latest obstacle in her way. Maybe if she was lucky she could do it in nine days and not even have to deal with Bellwether.

_Wouldn't that be a nice housewarming present for her_...Judy thought. Maybe it could even placate some of Bogo's wraith against her. As suddenly as that idea came, she frowned.

_No...that will require soldiers to do that. Trained soldiers, and right now I don't have those..._

As she made her way out the door, watching the dust of Bogo's entourage hanging in the air, Judy began planning a training regimen for her troops. She'll win over the Comandante with a present of The Fox...she just needed to survive training her troops, and whatever this Magistrate Bellwether would try and force upon her first.

* * *

Upstairs, the wide eyed fox heard the door close and felt like he could finally let out his breath he had been holding him.

"That buffalo is loco..." he whispered, trying to calm his fast beating heart. "At least now I know where all the other Capitan's got their behavior from; that sick, twisted Comandante."

Nick pushed himself off the floor and made his way to the window, pulling back the drapes to spy what was happening outside. He noticed the dust trail leaving the fort, meaning that the crazed Comandante had left, and also noticed his now favorite-least-favorite Capitan speaking with the mammal he knew as Sergeant Clawhauser. What had begun as contempt for the rabbit with their first meeting, now had turned to...something else. He mulled the thought over in his mind. What  _did_  what just happened downstairs remind him of?

All of a sudden, it clicked, and he felt incredibly foolish instantly afterwards.

"Over-judgemental boss, no care for subordinates, picks favorites and insults all others...

It reminded him of his own father.

"Could it be that we are not so much different after all Carrots?" Nick said aloud, now  _knowing_  that this poor creature was struggling with something he was all too familiar with. He understood the hurtful looks, and comments laced with barbs and constructed just to hurt and maim. The Don suddenly felt sorry for the rabbit, a layer of guilt welling up inside of him for how he had treated her.

She wasn't evil, not even close to it. When she lashed out, it probably didn't come from a residual darkness inside of her, but maybe, was simply built up over how others had treated her and came out at the least opportune times?

"Maybe I can work with her after all," Nick mused as a small grin began to form. He looked upon the Capitan a little more closely as his smile widened.  _Maybe I can help keep her around for a bit..._

His thoughts came to a crashing halt when his gaze fell upon something she held in her paws.

His hat.

"Ah, caramba..." Nick whispered as he noticed Clawhauser pointing in the direction of where Nick's home was. The rabbit soon took off in that direction, making him realize that she was most likely going there, expecting him to be there.

Nick ran out of the room and down the hall towards the roof access, shooting up the ladder and jumping through the open hatch. Thankfully, his race across the rooftop and over the fort's wall went unnoticed as he raced off into the underbrush, both panic and a silent urgency pulling at him.

"Today just gets stranger and stranger..."


	10. Casa de Wilde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick the suave fox. All you need to know.

Nick ran as fast as he could towards his manor, sprinting through shortcuts only he knew and crafted throughout years of serving the city as The Fox. He knew that the road would take twice as long as his own path, so after running for several minutes, he slowed, allowing himself some time to catch his breath.

It was then he heard the voices from below.

Nick cautiously edged towards the steep hill that led towards the roadway below. The path was the main one out of the city and to the south toward Pawterrey. Hiding behind a tree, he scowled at who was currently coming up the path, nearly running over a family beavers who flung themselves against the hill to escape the wagons rumbling down the road.

"His cruelty knows no bounds it seems," Nick stated, gripping the tree with his paw all the tighter. He knew from where he stood there was nothing at the moment he could do about it though, even though his sense of justice was burning as hot as the afternoon sun. Kicking at a rock, he watched it bounce along the edge of the hill, finally plinking against a rather large boulder that was sitting precariously over the roadway.

Whispering a quick prayer of thanks to Maid Marian, Nick traipsed over to the boulder. "My, my...you are looking a bit unhappy today my friend." Nick went up and patted the rock which was as big as himself, smiling as he saw a bit of dirt underneath it give way. "What was that? You see the Comandante coming and wish to offer salutations to him?"

The fox eyed the approaching pedal powered vehicles with a grin. "As you wish mi amigo."

As the wagon was only twenty five meters away, Nick gave the boulder a nudge, watching as the ground beneath it gave way. Jumping back away from the forming rockslide, he grinned as the boulder shook the ground near him, causing several other smaller rockslides to begin.

"Looks like the whole hillside wished to offer greetings to such a magnanimous mammal." Nick whistled loudly from behind cover, not wanting to cause any deaths or serious injuries from this stunt, watching and waiting to see what would happen.

* * *

Bogo let his eyes close as he swayed to the gentle rocking of the cart over the worn road. His trip to Zootopia had been a success in his mind. Even if the rabbit hadn't lost her job, what he had set up would give him the satisfaction of watching and hearing of her slowly breaking from Magistrate Bellwether. It would be invigorating to see the rabbit crushed and broken, moving her fuzzy tail back home to where all small, worthless mammals belonged.

A loud whistle, as well as shouts from his men and a roaring sound to his left brought him out of his thoughts.

"Rock slide!"

Bogo's eyes darted to the hillside and widened as he saw a massive amount of rocks sliding down towards him. It didn't take more than a second for him to leap from the cart, rolling to a stop a few meters on the other side of the flat ground next to the road. A splintering, crackling sound brought his attention to what had formally been his carriage, but was now a hulking mass of cracked wood and broken wheels.

* * *

Nick grinned as he saw the soldiers scattering to the other side of the road, safe and out of harms way. His grin widened even further as he watched every cart in the procession become splinters in a matter of seconds.

"Let's see how that massive, angst filled rage beast enjoys learning how to walk like a regular mammal for a change," Nick stated as he slapped his paws together for a job well done. Jogging away from the scene, in case the soldiers went to investigate the cause of the slide or the mysterious whistle that had saved them from thousands of pounds of rocks, Nick hummed to himself while idly patting the pocket which held the stolen ledger.

_Today has been a good day._

* * *

Judy was jogging down the road. It was already late afternoon, and with the slowly setting sun, Judy wished to make it to Don Wilde's villa and back before night fell. Angry shouts and rumbling sounds came from a bend just beyond her view. Almost sounding like a battle taking place, Judy went into a sprint, dashing around the bend and past a smiling beaver family, only to grow wide eyed and skid to a stop as the scene before her.

The broken remains of several familiar wagons lay under a massive amount of rocks, while soldiers groaned and walked past them, staring in hatred at the rocks covering the roadway and others shaking their fists at the hill that brought them down upon them. Almost moving to help them, Judy saw the massive form of Bogo rising up, dust covering the buffalo in a thin veil of grey and brown.

Instead, her paws brought her backwards, step by step until she rounded around the bend, deciding on taking another route to Wildes' villa.

* * *

The sun was an hour away from setting, casting orange and red hues across the land when Judy arrived at the impressive casa de Wilde. The large, solid walls that surrounded the entire home, as well as the massive iron gate reminded the Capitan of just how rich and powerful the Wilde family was, and just how small and insignificant she was compared to them.

Walking up the well maintained path to the villa, Judy saw several workers throughout the front yard, a few of whom cast irritated glances at her when they noticed her.

 _Zootopians really must not like soldiers_...Judy thought. Her thoughts went to the hat in her paws, and she nervously adjusted it in her grip as she reached the rather large door, the entrance to Casa de Wilde.

Before she could even knock, the massive door swung open, revealing an oryx in a butler uniform standing before her.

"Hello," Judy stated sharply, trying to hide the strange feeling of nervousness in her gut. Why she was feeling it, she had no idea. "Is Don Nicholas Wilde at home?"

"Of course," the butler replied, his voice removed of any hint of emotion as he stepped aside to let the Capitan in. "I will inform him of your arrival. Please wait in the parlor."

He motioned towards a room to his right, on Judy's left, then left, walking swiftly yet elegantly up a marble staircase to the second floor. As Judy moved towards the parlor, removing her own cap, she marveled at how ornate the home was. The entryway could easily fit all the soldiers under her command inside it with room to spare, while the staircase, wove to a large balcony which looked down upon the main room from three sides. She unconsciously let her paw roam over a large end table, surprised when she realized the trim was solid gold.

"That table is worth more than my home in Bunnyburrow," Judy whispered, stepping back from what was to her a near priceless piece of furniture. Halting steps in the parlor only made her jaw drop further, as she examine the exquisite paintings of foxes along the wall, as well as the extravagant Purrsian rugs lining the floor.

"Do you like, Capitana Hopps?"

Judy nearly jumped out of her uniform at the silky smooth voice behind her, dropping both hats she held in paw to the floor. She reached for them, only to find another, red furred paw, laying a top her own.

Turning her head, the first thing she saw was the toothy grin, followed by the sparkling emerald eyes. "Allow me."

Don Wilde's paw brushed across her own before retrieving both bolero's from the floor. Her nervousness increased fourfold at the touch, and again, she had no understanding as to why the fox had this affect on her. At the military academy, she hadn't had any nervousness, even around the bull elephants who threatened to crush her underfoot if she couldn't keep up with the rest of the officers in training.

"Ah, so this is where it went."

Judy was brought out of her daze as the fox chuckled, examining his hat in his paw while passing her own back to the rabbit. "I was wondering where my hat had gone off to after it had blown away outside the fort."

Judy cleared her throat, which felt unusually thick. "I found it atop my table in my dwelling. One of the soldiers must have placed it there for me to find and bring back to you."

"How kind of them to allow me to meet with you again so soon," Nick mused, grinning when he saw the twitch in Capitan Hopps' nose. Maybe I should have prepared the dinner for tonight if iknew where my hat had gone off to."

"That is not necessary," Judy replied quickly, holding both paws out in front of her. "I mean, thank you for the offer, but I must be heading back to my soldiers."

"Loyal to a fault it would seem," Don Wilde stated with a smile. "I trust you are getting along with them well, no?"

The fall of the rabbit's ears was all he needed to know.  _So she is different from the rest..._ he mused.

"As best as I can," Judy finally replied, shuffling her feet. "Still learning their names and everything."

"Of course, of course," Nick replied, noting the potential rift in the barracks he could exploit to do more digging for clues later. "That is to be expected of such an upright officer as yourself."

A grin, which turned into a sheepish smile. "Again, thank you for your compliment, but I fear I am nowhere near the status of excellence I need to be in order to serve this city."

"Come now," Nick replied in a chiding tone. "I saw how kind you were to Weidii today, and anyone who would endure her fire and brimstone and a first meeting like that, has the patience of a sloth and the wisdom of a yak."

"Shouldn't it be an elephant?" Judy asked, the question coming out before her paws could clasp over her muzzle.

Don Wilde's eyes positiviely sparkled in delight. "Apparently you have not met many yaks then."

"I guess not Don Wilde."

"Please señorita, I prefer Nicholas. Or Nick to my close friends, of which I can see you becoming such a one."

 _Laying it on there a bit thick, Nick?_  he mentally chided himself as he watched the rabbit's happy reaction to his statement.  _You're just charming her to whittle secrets out of her. Nothing more. She's a pawn in Bogo's plans...right?_

Again, doubts of what was happening around him began pulling at the edges of the fabric of his mind, testing for weaknesses of logic. He'd heard the argument between Comandante Bogo and Capitan Hopps, and had even snuck a peek after hearing her cry of pain, and saw her pinned under the buffalo's hoof against the wall.

_Could she be like Skye, perhaps?_

A thought accompanied that as the Capitan fumbled with her hat under the prolonged silence.

"I should probably get going back to my mammals," the Capitan offered. She started off towards the door.

"Wait!"

Judy halted, then turned to see the Don's outstretched arm, with him stepping towards her, albeit it with a nervous glimmer in his eyes.

"Er, Capitana Hopps, you said you came from Bunnyburrow, correct?"

Hopps nodded.

"And you wouldn't have happened to come from a farming background?"

Again, another nod. "That is correct."

Nick flashed a brilliant smile. "Well then Capitana, before you go, would you like to tour my orchards?"

If a word could be given to describe insurmountable joy filling a mammal, any mammal who had seen Capitan Hopps' face in that moment would have titled the word simply as, Judy Hopps.

"I would love that!" Judy exclaimed, eyes lighting up at the suggestion. Nick could almost feel the energy coming from her, even as she tried to temper her emotions after her initial outburst.

Chuckling, he lowered his paw, pads up to her. She took it in her own, seeing how the Don wished to escort her to the orchard himself.

 _Quite the gentlemammal..._ Judy thought.  _I wish the bucks back home would take lessons from him._

She saw the fox grin, then lower his muzzle to her paw and gently laid a kiss upon it. His eyes met her, and for a moment, it felt like her heart had stopped in its beating. His following words, barely above a whisper as he kept his eyes focused on her own, sent a shiver done her spine.

"Then let me give you the grand tour while the sun is setting and the glow from the sun and moon alight your fur in the most majestic of hues, that is only proper for a lady of  _your_  beauty."

Judy lost the use of her words, and barely felt herself moving forward as the Don escorted her, arm in arm out of the foyer and into the yard, her mind feeling as if it had melted into a puddle under the Don's sultry and deliciously sweet words.  _Never_  had anyone given her such a compliment, and even thought she tried to keep her rigid stoicism in place as a proper Capitan should...she felt her heart beating quite faster than normal and heat rising from her ears. Before she knew it, she found herself pulling herself tighter next to him as they walked, smiling as the fox grinned back at her, flashing her what appeared like a heartfelt smile.

_Yes, the bucks back home really needed to take lessons from Nicholas..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so there is an amazing picture that goes along with this chapter that KungFuFreak07 has drawn over on deviantart.com. So go check it out as it is amazing!!!!


	11. Apples and Blueberries

_What are you doing...what are you doing...WHAT...ARE...YOU....DOING?_

On the outside, as Nick led Judy through his garden and towards his orchards just beyond, he was the calm, collected Don Wilde that Zootopia had grown to recognize. The charming, debonair figure who even though he was a tad bit peculiar, was beloved by all.

On the inside...Nick felt a war playing out between his mind and heart.

_Why did you go and say that to her! Why are you leading her on! You can't like her!_...cried his mind, as it shot cannonball after cannonball towards the hardened iron walls that surrounded his heart on all side.

_Why not?_...his heart would reply, only angering his mind all the more. The battle continued far into the tour as Nick tried to figure out what was going on with him. Sure he had seen a whole new side of the Capitan, and thanks to his eavesdropping a few hours before, also knew of how scorned she was by those who should have been helping her. Was it just pity that caused him to give her such compliments; a feeling that she had probably never gotten them before and deserved a little happiness?

...or was it much like what his heart was saying, that maybe it was the honest truth?

The fox barely noticed where they were, until he felt a paw holding him back.

"For a fox at dusk, you have quite poor eyesight."

The comment, coming from such a sweet sounding voice broke him from the battle waging inside him and forced him back to the waking world. Looking down, he realized that one paw was firmly planted on solid ground, while the other was floating above a small creek that ran across his blueberry orchard and divided it from the apple trees he grew on the other side.

Nick pulled his paw back, grinning down at the bunny who's infectious smile and slight giggle brought a smile of his own to his face.

"Thank you from saving me from a soggy demise," he laughed, pointing two fingers at his eyes before switching them to facing the water gurgling by, as if saying he was watching the brook carefully.

"I guess that makes us even then?"

Nick nodded at the apt statement. "It would seem, Capitana Hopps. How often does a fox become so lucky as to be saved by such a beautiful bunny, no?"

_And there it is again..._ If a tiny version of him lived in his mind, it would be throwing a fit towards him and his silver tongue. The Don noticed the slight blush of the rabbit's cheeks, followed by downward cast eyes and shuffling feet.

_You're not supposed to flirt with the enemy!_...he mind yelled at him.

_She is no enemy of mine..._ his heart shot back again. _Just say what you feel and tell me Nicky, since when did you last let your heart decide?_

"Thank you," came a hushed whisper from the bunny that Nick had to strain his ears to hear, even in such close company as they were with linked arms. "Not many mammals have ever called me that, and this much either..."

Her sentence turned into mumbling which soon traced off into a soundless whisper.

Both his heart and head quieted as Nick focused on the rabbit, his inquisitive nature taking command of this thoughts and actions. "You mean to tell me, that nobody has ever complimented you on your beauty before?"His mind gave him another dirty look and he almost wished that the voice telling him not to care about the rabbit was a tiny fox on his shoulder that he could simply brush aside.

"Ah, I know why!" Nick stated, trying to bring back some semblance of joviality to the conversation. Judy's ears perked up her gaze switched from her feet to his face. "Bunnyburrow must be full of blind rabbits as that is the only way that could have happened."

Judy groaned and shook her head, but Nick took heart when he heard her giggle slightly. "I wish that was it. The bucks growing up thought it odd that a rabbit would want to become a soldier when there were perfectly good carrots to farm."

"Certainly not all bunnies have such a lofty dream of being a carrot farmer though," Nick interceded. "I'm guessing that much of your family would have wanted to see the rest of the world, correct?"

Judy grinned sheepishly. "Does visiting Deerbrooke on a dare count as world travelling?"

Nick blinked, realizing from his studies of cities in Califurnia that Deerbrooke was only a short thirty miles away from the outskirts of Bunnyburrow...which meant.

He stared back at Judy, whose smile was slightly lowered. "I'm the farthest away from home that any one of my 278 siblings have ever been."

Nick's jaw couldn't help but drop. "278 brothers and sisters?" he gasped.

The bunny nodded. "As of when I left for the military academy, that was the number. "It may have grown since then."

"Aye carumba..." Nick breathed. "You really are an interesting rabbit to have broken such from tradition."

As if a cannonball had struck her in the chest, Judy froze, her smile growing rigid and he could see the fire of joy in her amethyst eyes doused by his words as she lowered her head.

She removed himself from their entwined arms, placing her cap back upon her head. "I...I should be going."

"I didn't mean it like that," Nick blurted out, causing her to halt in her tracks. She turned to him, her gaze a much more neutral tone than before. The fox sighed, running a paw through the fur between his ears. "What I meant is that it takes a special and wonderful individual to break from such well seasoned traditions for their dreams."

Judy snorted. "If only that were true."

"Capitana Hopps!"

Judy froze at the sound of Nick's voice, as he shouted at her. What was just seconds before was smooth and warming, was now filled with authority and weight. Turning to him, she saw his eyes narrowed and his finger pointed towards her.

"I will not see any senorita put themselves down in front of me," he stated forcefully, walking towards her. Judy stood her ground, wondering what the fox was doing as he stood directly before her. "I think I have heard you degrade yourself enough for today, and for a lifetime, Capitana, and I will hear no more of it. For you to have chased after your dream, and it being the most challenging of occupations, that of an officer in the army means that you should be proud of what you have done. Not many can do what you did, especially among us smaller mammals."

When Don Wilde leaned down, placing his paws upon his knees, Judy found herself looking straight into his eyes.

"You are unique among mammals."

She saw the truth of his statement in his eyes, and realized that perhaps the fox was not just stating something that he felt would lift her up. She saw him reach for a nearby bush and pluck several berries from it. "I'd even say you are a bit like the oft-overlooked blueberry."

"Are you saying I'm short and plump?" Judy quickly replied, her muzzle hinting at a grin as a moment of shock showed on the Don's face as his ears perked up. They both chuckled before he continued.

"Not at all, quite the opposite," he replied as he plopped a few blueberries into his open muzzle. "You're heavenly and sweet. And when given the right opportunities and cultivation, you can become the best of all berries, or in your case, mammals."

_Again with his silver tongue..._ Judy thought, allowing his words to drown her recent worries with his kind words. Before she could even form a thank you, Nick brought a paw up to clasp her own.

"Hermosa conejo, never put yourself down," Nick stated, placing a gentle kiss upon her gloved paw. Judy couldn't help the blush that rose through her ears. "Your smile is too dazzling to be replaced by a  frown."

"I...I don't know what to say," Judy softly stated, her ears burning under the deep blush. "Besides that you are quite good with a rhyme." She dared to look up, only to see a warm smile grace the Don's features and she silently cursed her luck as he laughed.

"I do try," he chuckled. "Though you could have always said I missed."

"You missed?" Judy asked, perplexed at the fox's statement. "How?"

Nick shook his head, clucking his tongue. "It would be such a trivial matter if it were anyone else, however..." His gaze fell upon hers, and she could feel his paw above her, gently pulling the glove off her paw. "A true gentlemammal _always_ kisses a beautiful lady upon her ungloved paw."

He leaned down again, placing another kiss upon her fur, in between her knuckles.

Judy's ears felt like they had been lit on fire and she quickly yanked her paw back, snatching her glove from the fox's outstretched paw and putting it back on.

"Does the Capitan not like to be treated like a lady?" Don Wilde asked, his eyes showing a bit of hurt at her sudden anxiousness.

"No, it isn't that Don Wilde," Judy stammered, brushing back her ears.

"Nicholas," the fox stated, placing a paw upon her shoulder. "Please call me that."

Judy eyed his paw, hoping beyond hope that the fox hadn't noticed her nose slightly twitching at his touch. Not due to worry of what he might do, but due to how close he suddenly was. "I just realized I need to head back to the fort."

Although he seemed a bit saddened at the news, the fox took it well, bowing with a flourish. "Then I shall escort you back to the villa and call for a friend to guide you back as the sun appears to have nearly set upon another beautiful day."

Judy nodded as they turned to leave, when a loud noise in the distance stole her attention from the fox, as her ears swiveled in the direction of the noise.

"What is wrong?" Nick asked, raising himself up to see over the bunny in the direction her ears were turned. With the height of the blueberry bushes, he knew that the Capitan couldn't see beyond them, but his extra foot height allowed him to see perfectly what was happening down below them in the apple orchards.

He cursed his luck. _Of all the times that they show up, it has to be when she is here so I can't chase them away as The Fox._

"What is it?" Judy asked, turning to see a scowl on the vulpine's face.

"The Muchachos Boys gang," Nick spat out. He looked down at Judy who was looking up at him with confusion.

"They are a group of banditos that have enjoyed to pillage my vineyards and steal my produce." He fought hard not to growl as he watched the three hyenas running through his apple orchard nearby.

If it weren't for Capitan Hopps being there, then he'd chase them off himself as Zorro.

He turned back to look at the rabbit, but gasped when he saw she was no longer by his side.

"Capitan Hopps!" he shouted, noticing a pair of grey ears weaving through the blueberry orchard. "Wait! It's dangerous to go alone!"

He saw the rabbit turn towards him, and with a gleam in her eyes he saw her draw her sword.

"Then I'll take this!" she shouted back raising the sword above her head as she raced through the bushes towards the sounds of the bandits.

A growl erupted from Nick's throat as he raced off after the rabbit. He knew that the Muchachos Boys Gang was incredibly violent and he had nearly lost several workers in his fields to them when they had attacked in the past. The Capitan could handle herself if it was a fair fight, he was sure of that after their meeting just the previous night.

However, _this_ gang did not fight fair, and she'd need all the help she could get.

_You can't fight them head on Nicholas..._ the fox thought, skirting through his bushes and popping out on the other side to the sound of riotous, barking laughter that he knew belonged to the leader of the gang, Enrique Eduardo Sanchez Pablo Escarbar Tonto Hiena del Fuego Pantalonas.

Or as Zorro liked to tauntingly call him...Ed.

Nick skid to a stop when he saw the three hyenas surrounding the small Capitan, who didn't waver from her stance, sword drawn on the leader of the gang while all three drew their own.

He took a step forward, nearly slipping when he stepped upon a loose apple rolling on the ground.

Nick grinned. As Don Wilde, he may not approve of swordplay, but there were certainly _other_ ways to fight.

* * *

Judy let out a sigh of relief as she darted off towards the thugs invading Don Wilde's property. This was her natural element, living in the thrill of a coming battle against villainy in the fight for justice for all mammalkind. It hadn't come a moment too soon as she was certain she had almost lost her ability to speak or even think after Nicholas had kissed her paw.

_It's Don Wilde you dumb bunny! Stop being so familiar with him!_

Judy raced through the blueberry fields until she sprinted headlong into the abutting apple orchard. Hearing the gang nearby, she slowed, ears swiveling to locate their exact location. Once she had it, Judy raced towards it, sword at the ready in case of an ambush. As soon as she saw the three criminals, she halted.

"Muchachos Boys! This is Capitan Hopps. You're all under arrest."

The three hyena's jumped at the Capitan's voice, looking around expecting a larger animal to have yelled at them. It was only until she 'ahem'ed' loudly that they bothered to look down at the scowling rabbit.

"Awwwww!" One of the hyena's cooed. "Isn't she the cutest!"

A second cackled in laughter, slapping his knee with his paw. "Did you hear that fella's? We're under arrest!"

"Why are we resting again?" the third hyena spoke, only to get smacked behind the ears from the first one.

"Shut it Shenzi."

Judy glared at all three that were staring her down. "As I said, stand down. You will hereby accompany me to Fort Zootopia where you'll be placed in a cell until your trial. At which time you'll-"

A sudden bout of cackling interrupted her as all three hyena's burst into a fit of laughter.

"As I was saying..." Judy tried to continue, unable to be heard over the chortles of the other mammals.

Glaring at the larger animals, Judy sliced her sword through the air, creating a humming sound that instantly got their attention. Leveling the sword towards the one she assumed was the leader, Ed, she stared him down until she brought a scowl to his face.

"I guess she ain't playing with us, boys," Ed stated with a snort. Nodding his head, all three drew their own swords, which were larger than Judy's entire body, ears included, and began to surround her.

"What do you think Banzai, do you think the cute little rabbit will last thirty seconds?"

The hyena behind Judy cackled, yet only one of her ears swiveling showed she paid him any head. "Maybe if we are extra careful so we don't ruin any prime cuts for dinner."

Judy scowled. "I'm giving you one last chance to surrender peacefully."

"How about you just die quickly, eh?" Ed stated, taking a step forward as the other two closed in.

An apple slamming into the hyena's face temporarily stunned him, as a second glanced off his forehead. Ed looked up, only to have a third fruit slam straight into his nose, knocking him back onto his short tail with a groan as he clutched at his now bleeding nose.

"How about No...she will not be dying today," a firm voice stated from behind the group. Judy and the other two hyenas turned abruptly to see Don Wilde standing roughly ten yards away, bouncing two apples in one of his paws. "Now, if you remaining banditos please vacate the premises, then this beautiful master of the sword will not have to teach you Manners 101, something of which your mothers should have taught you as tiny bambinos."

"What did he say Shenzi?" Banzai asked the other animal.

"I think he told us mother is fat."

Nick raised an eyebrow, "How did you ever get that from what I said?"

Both hyena's looked at each other, shrugged, then darted towards the fox.

Both were halted within seconds as first Shenzi was knocked to the ground, finding his stomach to be the recipient of a double pawed rabbit kick, and Banzai found the two apples Nick was juggling to find both of his eyes in rapid succession, one of which had a large bite mark out of it.

Nick was munching merrily away at a third apple in his paw as Judy turned, watching the two hyenas stand, only to be joined quickly by Ed.

"Looks like that pelt and the cutey need to be taught a lesson in their roles in life."

"Oh, I can assure you we've both have lessons about that," Nick retorted, taking another bite of an apple. "And apparently have rejected them wholeheartedly. So retreat from orchard before you bruise any of my fruit with your harsh odor."

"That's it!" Ed yelled, charging forward.

Nick, knowing he had to act the part, acted startled, leaping behind Judy while secretly plucking more apples from a nearby branch. To her credit, Nick watched as Judy didn't even bat an eyelid at the three charging predators, but instead simply darted headlong herself into their charge.

Apparently it startled the bandits just as much as the fox, as each paused for a moment as the rabbit slid in between and underneath their legs. Banzai attempted to look between his legs at where the rabbit when, only to yelp as her sword swatted his backside, flipping him over onto his head with a yelp. She turned and rolled underneath's Ed's blade, the hyena growling at the rabbit as he brought back his sword for another strike, only to be caught in the back of the head with another apple.

Looking behind him, he snarled at the fox, causing Nick to feign being frightened by dropping his apple to the ground. It caused enough of a distraction and the fox grinned as Judy's foot smashed into Ed's face, toppling the mammal to the ground in an unconscious heap, drool dripping from his mouth as he landed. Judy turned to her last foe, Shenzi, who was staring wide mouthed at the bunny.

"You ain't supposed to be like that. You're...you're supposed to be..."

"Some cute little bunny?" Judy grinned as she leveled her sword at him.  At the move, Shenzi dropped his sword and fled, only for a red blur to speed after him.

The apple caught him directly on the back of small of his back, dropping him like a sack of flour. Groaning, he raised his head, only for a second apple to smash so hard into the back of his skull, that the fruit exploded, its juicy remnants trailing down the side of the hyena's face as he slumped to the ground.

Judy took a step towards the mammal, only to trip as Banzai grabbed her leg. Before the hyena could even snarl at her, Judy jumped onto her back, pulled her legs towards her chest, then released them full force into the animals skull.

Banzai let out a goofy cackle before dropping to the ground.

Dusting herself off as she rose to her feet, Judy sheathed her sword and glanced towards Nick.

"Are you alright?"

Nick nodded, "But of course. I had the best swordsmammal in all Califurnia to protect me."

Judy grinned, feeling a slight blush creeping up her ears as several mammals came running towards them, a leopard leading the pack.

"Are you alright sir?" the feline asked as he approached Nick, followed shortly by a short tan fox and a female honey badger.

"Yes, thanks to the wonderful Capitan here," Nick supplied graciously, bowing towards the mentioned rabbit. Sneaking a peek at the bunny, he grinned as he saw her look at the ground, idly kicking the dirt with her hindpaw in embarassment.

_Does she not get praise that often?_ Nick wondered, before his mind went back to the conversation he had overheard earlier. _No...she must not get it at all if she can't handle something as small a compliment as that._

The smile Nick had melted into a frown at the thought. Maybe with a little more work, he really _could_ make sure this Capitan didn't turn out like the others.  

_Then again..._ he thought ironically. _I had the same thoughts about Capitan Skye..._

He shook his head of those thoughts, before turning to his servants. "Did any of you bring rope with you?"

They shook their heads before the leopard jogged towards a nearby shed. Don Wilde turned towards the honey badger. "Honey, can you write a note and send it by pigeon to the fort? Tell them that Capitan Hopps has captured the Muchachos Boys Gang and needs assistance in carrying them back to the fort, can you do that for me?"

The badger nodded. "You darn right I can!"

"Good," Nick laughed, just as the leopard returned with several lengths of cord. "Ah, Diego, thank you. Please help the Capitan in tying up our guests."

"Most certainly, Nicholas."

In less than a minute, the three bandits had been hogtied tighter than a fermenting barrel, with each finishing knot the rabbit tied earning a grunt from the imprisoned mammals. As the last one was secured, Judy turned to the fox, giving him a curious look.

"Where did you learn to throw like that Don Wilde?"

Nick frowned at her. "How many times must I remind you, it is Nicholas, or simply Nick."

"Alright, _Nick_ ," Judy muttered, finishing tying off the knot around Ed's paws. It felt so wrong to be referring to such a noblemammal by their first name. It seemed so...intimate, especially for talking with someone as important as a Don of Califurnia. "Where did you learn to throw like that."

The fox smiled. "I spent two years in England studying agriculture and in my spare time played cricket until I became quite good."

"You seem a fox of many talents then," Judy replied with a grin. "I wonder what other secrets are behind that mischievous smile."

_Oh_...Nick thought as he grinned. _You have no idea..._

 


	12. Song of the Cheetah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Clawhauser sings in this chapter is called, "A Rose Tree", and can be found on youtube by typing in "Hildebrands - A Rose Tree". I'd suggest looking it up, and then listening to it as Clawhauser sings it. Hopefully I wrote the original lyrics for it well, since I've never written songs before so it might be terrible...
> 
> Let me know though!

**Chapter 12 Song of the Cheetah**

**AN: For those who asked, no, the Muchachos Boys Gang was not a mistake. I really did want them to be called, "The Boys Boys Gang", just for the fun of it. XD Now onto the story.**

* * *

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, taptaptaptaptap..._

"What to wear… what to wear..."

Judy's foot was drumming against the floor as she stared at her miniscule collection of clothing she could wear for her dinner with Nick that evening. The previous fifteen hours had been a whirlwind of activity. It had taken nearly a half hour for her soldiers to arrive to help her lead the Muchacho Boys Gang back, and she could only huff in annoyance when they had finally shown.

_Sixteen soldiers to guard three prisoners…_ she had thought in the moment, annoyed at the wasted resources and time that the whole situation had become. Though she had learned from the soldiers that this gang had apparently been running rampant for some time, defying each and every patrol sent out after them.

_And yet a bunny and a fox were able to take them down…_ Judy had snickered internally as she led the procession back into town. Word of the arrests had brought many townsfolk out to witness it for their own eyes, as if disbelieving that the gang had actually been captured.

And by the new rabbit Capitán no less!

The few appreciative nods and smiles sent her way buoyed her confidence that had so nearly been shattered by Comandante Bogo earlier, and the metallic grinding sound of the cell of the three hyenas slamming shut was the most satisfying sound in the world at that moment.

It was the sound that, maybe, _just maybe_ … she _could_ make a difference.

As promised the following morning, she aroused her troops at the break of dawn to go over morning drills and for her to verify their training levels. All seemed physically proficient for the tasks she assigned them.

_Well, everyone except Clawhauser_ … Judy through dryly, remembering how the cheetah was left panting just by running on lap around the perimeter of the fort. He _did_ manage to keep up with the rest of the troops though, and by the end of the early morning training, she was immensely proud of everyone, but _especially_ of his performance.

The following four to six hours were filled with her getting to know her troops, setting up patrol schedules in the town, as well as in the nearby farmland. If the Muchacho Boys Gang had been able to run rampant as long as they had, it was time for some discretionary patrols to intimidate any other desperados from trying the strength of the soldiers of Fort Zootopia.

After all that work had been accomplished, it was with a cheerful heart at a day filled to the brim with success that the doe jogged up to her chambers, and now found herself and her mood to be somewhat doused by how meager her personal belongings were, each now lying atop her bed.

_You never cared before about having nice clothes, so why do you care now?_

Judy scoffed at the voice that had been nagging her the entire afternoon. With just three hours until she was to meet Don Wilde, she found herself realizing that the only clothes she owned were that of her dress uniform, three sets of standard issue uniforms and one set for practice and training.

"Is that all you have?" a voice gasped from behind her.

Shaking her head, she turned to see Clawhauser standing at the entrance to her room, his paws in front of his mouth and his eyes making him look like a kit that just dropped his candy into a mud puddle.

"Sergeant..." Judy chuckled, amused at the cheetah's expression. "When one has given their life to the service, one doesn't find much time for personal effects."

The rabbit let a grin play at the corners of her lips as the cheetah's shoulders slumped. "Oh, and Sergeant? You forgot to salute when you greeted me."

The cheetah gasped as his tail shot out straight behind him. "Oh, s-sorry Capitán!" He offered a crisp salute before Judy did the same.

"No worries, Sergeant," Judy replied, as she lowered her paw. "Just don't make a habit of it, alright?"

"Of course, of course..." Clawhauser rambled, grinning sheepishly before adding. "So… what do you have planned for tonight that you'd be looking at your clothes like you might as well be walking around naked?"

Another shake of her head. "I will be dining with Don Nicholas de la Wilde tonight at his villa. I'm trying to get to know som-"

" _Awwwwwwwwwww!"_

Judy cringed at the loud semi-wail that came from the cheetah. Turning, she saw his tail swinging playfully behind him as he hid his mouth behind his paws. "You're going on a date with _Don Wilde?_ "

_A date?!_

Judy's eyes widened in shock as the cheetah began laughing.

"No, it isn't anything like that," Judy tried to explain, only for Clawhauser to bat a paw towards her.

"Oh, you don't have to hide it you little flirt. I mean, I've seen how all the vixens in town swoon in his very presence. Even my darling Valorie has succumbed to many a sigh from his roguish charms."

"Wait..." Judy exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at the cheetah. "You're dating someone?"

The cheetah nodded vigorously. "Of course. A lovely señorita by the name of Valorie Woods." He let out a long sigh as he brought both paws together and clasped them next to his cheek. "She is the loveliest lady to ever grace Zootopia." His eyes widened as he quickly pointed towards Judy. "Oh! We should go on a _double date_ sometime!"

"Clawhuser..." Judy grumbled.

"...And we could maybe go down to the docks and walk the beach, all four of us..."

" _Clawhauser..."_ Judy stated, a bit louder and more forcibly.

"...and I could sing a love ballad for all of us..." the cheetah continued before clearing his throat.

Judy groaned and leaned against the bed, resting her head in her paw as Clawhauser began to croon in a deep baritone that caused Judy's ears to perk up.

_"I had once a lonely heartache, of which nothing could supply for me.._

_My want for adoration, of which I had fain to see._

_And then I faint have seen her, against a darkening sky…_

_A lovely señorita, whose angelic pose attracted me."_

Judy was entranced by the song. _I didn't know he could sing that well._ She was so enraptured by the cheetah's singing, that she barely noticed when the song shifted to a more _personal_ tone.

_"The fox who stole her heart, the purest form of love I've seen."_ Clawhauser sung, startling Judy somewhat from her daze.

"Wait, what?" she asked, eyes widening as the cheetah sang on, unknowing of her sudden discomfort.

_"Though eager to profess it, her love for him was pure and sweet..."_

"Alright," Judy stuttered, pushing off the bed as she sped towards the cheetah. "Enough of that now."

_"She found her one true love, now she only needs to act on it..."_

"Enough!" Judy roared, finally managing to distract the cheetah from his singing.

"Alright, enough of that Sergeant," Judy growled as the cheetah jerked to a stop, then chuckled nervously as his tail twitched behind him.

"Sorry Capitán Hopps. I did not mean to be unseemly with the song."

"No, no...it's just..." Judy scowled, then huffed in irritation. "Nevermind."

Clawhauser stared after Judy as she grabbed her bolero from her hat rack, grabbed a small bag of coins from her rucksack, and made for her door. "I'm going out," she stated firmly as she passed the cheetah, who followed after her.

"Where are you going?" he pressed, following closely behind her.

"I need new clothing," she sighed as she trudged down the steps that were much too big for a small mammal like herself.

"Oh, I can help with that!"

Judy paused mid step, causing the cheetah to nearly trample her were it not for her quick reflexes. She leapt to the side of the staircase, rebounding off the wall before coming to a stop at the bottom of the staircase on three paws, with her other held behind her as she landed.

A squeal came from above her. "Oh, that was magnificent Capitán Hopps! I haven't seen anyone do anything like that before!"

Judy grinned at the compliment, though inwardly grimacing at nearly being squashed by the hyper-happy Sergeant. "As you were saying Clawhauser? _Before_ you forgot where you were stepping?"

A mortified expression grew on the cheetah's face as he gasped. "I am so sorry Capitán! I sometimes do not think where my paws are going, which has landed me in quite the trouble oft times."

"Again, just watch where you step," Judy repeated. "Now, what were you saying about being able to help?"

Clawhauser grinned. "Oh, right, right...Well, Valorie, that sweetest of felines and the stars of my night sky, knows a fantastic shop that caters to smaller mammals. We sometimes go there for her little ones to shop..."

The cheetah trailed off when he noticed the frown come upon Capitán Hopps' face. "I'm sorry Capitán. I went too far again didn't I."

_He truly doesn't have a filter does he…_ Judy mused. Besides the comment that he only knew of the shop due to his girlfriend's _children_ shopping there, she was grateful for the advice that he knew of a place where she could go to find clothing. She chose to ignore his comments, as with as little as two days of knowing him, she knew he hadn't meant her any ill-will as there wasn't a mean bone in the pudgy mammals body.

"So… you said you know where it is?"

The cheetah nodded. "Si Capitán. If you'd like, I can take you over to Valorie's, the sweet, adorable kitten that she is, and see if she'd like to take you as I have guard duty in an hour.

"Gracias Sergeant Clawhauser. That would be wonderful," Judy beamed, walking towards the door. The two mammals headed out and towards the entry into the fort when Judy halted. A smile crept upon her and she was full out grinning when she saw what she saw.

The cheetah looked around expectantly. "What is the matter Capitán Hopps? Is something amiss?"

She shook her head, thankful that for once, _nothing_ was amiss. Each guard station had a soldier at it, several were running drills in the courtyard and even the entrance had multiple guards standing at perfect attention.

"Nothing is wrong Sergeant," Judy exclaimed, trying to hide the shiver of excitement she felt at the turnaround her soldiers had already begun taking. Looking up at the cheetah, she began walking forward again. "In fact, everything is perfect."

"That's wonderful to hear!" Clawhauser laughed. "Now, let's get you the perfect outfit to match a perfect day..." he leaned down to Judy with an annoyingly large grin, "...with a _perfect_ fox, no?"

Judy couldn't help the blush that formed as she shoved the sergeant playfully.

"Oh hush. Let's just find this dress and be done with it."

"Si Capitán."


	13. Dressed Up Motives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some artwork by the very talented yasminoliveira534 over on tumblr has been drawn for this chapter, and is on my chapter over on Deviantart (as I can't figure out how to post it here). So make sure to check out her tumblr page and thank her for the amazing artwork! :)
> 
> Also, I'll be including more Spanish words into the story, so if you see an asterisk next to a word, then the definition will be at the end of the chapter. ;)

Judy walked along the dusty road, one paw gripped upon the hilt of her sword in reassurance, as at the moment she wasn't feeling very much like a Capitán. She eyed the simple dress she wore once more, the pale blue tone of the flowing fabric growing on her, as well as the white long-sleeved blouse Valorie had found for her. The elbows had slight puffs of fabric that allowed her to easily draw her sword, of which she was adamant any of the clothes she were to pick up necessary in that allowance.

She was still a Capitán after all, even if, as both Valorie and Sergeant Clawhauser had put it, she _'looked as if heaven itself had graced Zootopia with an angel in the form of a bunny'._

The complement had brought out a quick blush as she turned and went back into the changing stall earlier, only to overhear the  _next_ comment that the cheetah had told his jaguar girlfriend.

_"Isn't she just the cutest thing you ever saw? Don Wilde is just going to drool all over at seeing her in that."_

She had made a mental note to assign the Sergeant outhouse duty for, yet again, using the c-word around her, but when she had changed back into her uniform and walked out to meet them, she had found they had already bought, not only her current outfit, but also several others that she could use for training or nights on the town. Her anger had fizzled, turning quickly to shame for wanting to punish Clawhauser for being… well, himself.

 _He is the only one who can call me that…_ Judy thought as her destination came into view as she rounded a grove of maple trees. Don Wilde's manor was just as impressive as it had been the day before, but somehow, it felt even more foreboding due to the conversation she and Valorie had shared while Clawhauser shooed them out of the store, mentioning he had a surprise for them.

As they had walked out, Judy had taken one last look at a bunny-sized mannequin in the front window, hoping to see the gorgeous amethyst hued sleeveless gown that had been on display. It was about the most risqué thing Judy had ever seen in a store before, but she had fallen in love with it… that is, until she had seen the price and released that it would take two years to save up on her salary to afford it. She had sighed, noticing the dress was no longer there, as well as a rather rotund and richly dressed rabbit doe walking out of the store with several large bags, including one which had the tip of something purple hanging out of it.

Valorie had noticed Judy's sigh, and gently placed a paw upon her shoulder...

* * *

_ Several hours before... _

"Capitána Hopps, are you alright?"

Judy nodded. "Thank you for your concern, but..." she spared a glance at the mannequin which was being redressed in a rather plain looking white gown. Valorie followed her gaze and frowned. Leaning down quite a ways so that she was ear level to the bunny, she cupped her paw around her mouth, whispering to the rabbit.

"I think that doe who just left wouldn't fit into it even if she tried. She's eaten so many empanadas that she makes even Benjamin look flaco* in comparison."

Just the outlandishness of the statement brought Judy into a fit of giggles, eventually calming down as she looked up at her new found friend in Valorie. "I would imagine so, though it is quite improper to mock a lady of any esteem."

Valorie shrugged. "Eh, that's just Madame Goofensmidt and with how much of a gossip she is, I don't feel too bad about mocking her just a bit."

Judy gave Valorie a stern glare, but the jaguar shrugged it off like it was a hotcake on a well-oiled griddle. "Though you're just deflecting," Valorie stated. "So how about we get back to the real issue and how you're going to stun that fox out of his mind tonight on your date."

Blushing furiously, Judy stared up in what was a mix between horror, frustration and astonishment. "How many times do I have to repeat myself… it is  _not_   _a date_. This is simply a..."

"Get to know the people of the town meeting," the jaguar finished for her. "Yes, yes, I've heard you tell Benjamin that several times, but..." the pair found a bench outside another store and Valorie sat, patting the open space next to her. Judy leapt up onto the bench and sat, making for quite an odd scene of a jaguar and bunny sitting side by side on the quiet street. "I think there are a few things you should know about Don Nicholas de la Wilde which makes this not-a-date, most likely one."

Giving the feline a cautious look, Valorie continued. "Look, Don Wilde is quite different from the other Don's in the area, probably in all of Califurnia. He is much more of the people than any of them prefer, but is also one of the richest as well due to his vineyards. He gives a lot of his money to the local charities and a few families that he hears about who are in need and in all my dealings with him, he has never shown to be ambiguous or dishonest in anything. He means what he says and is quite straightforward."

Judy's attention was fixated upon the jaguar who paused in her speaking as she noticed a family of elk walking together across the street. Their clothes looked well worn, and even though the father's clothes showed that he was most likely a bookkeeper of some sort, the various patches and stitch work on his shirt and pants showed that they most likely struggled to get by.

"Do you see that family across the street?" Valorie stated, pointing them out as Judy nodded. "Well, those are the Antlersons, and do you see their son there?"

Again Judy nodded, noticing that the elk looked rather diminutive for his age and hobbled along thanks to the help of what looked like a well-crafted crutch which even came with a cushioned rest under the boy's arm.

"When little Tim there was out playing one day near the center square, Capitán Koslov came swaying down the street, drunk out of his mind around noon. When he came upon tiny Tim there and his friends, the drunkard kicked out at them to get to move, breaking the poor boy's leg."

Judy couldn't help but be shocked, her mouth falling open just slightly, though she recovered quickly enough to close it just as fast as it had fallen. "But… why? Why would he do something like that to a child?"

"You mean like why would a Capitán break a child's sword?" Valorie's face grew a tad more serious, though concern was the main emotion in her eyes.

Judy's ears fell behind her as she ashamedly looked at the ground. "You don't know how much that experience has already pained me," the rabbit stated, contemplating how horrendously she had treated the otter kit as her first act in Zootopia. "It is a wound that I did not properly avoid and now will leave a terrible scar for all mammaldom to see and know me by." Her paw absently brushed at her own face, retracing three shapely lines hidden under the fur of her cheek.

She felt a paw land on her shoulder, and looking up, she saw a tender look in the jaguar's eyes. "And  _that,_  Capitán Hopps,is what makes you different. You  _care,_ even if you do something hurtful, you try to fix your mistakes. Benjamin has told me all about what you did, as well as how you want to do good to the mammals here. Koslov..." in a very undignified manner, Valorie spat on the ground as she said the polar bears name, "he didn't care at all about what he had done, just went on ambling down the street. Probably didn't even know he'd hurt Tim so badly. His parents didn't know if he'd make it through the week, especially when his leg became infected."

Judy's heart ached more and more as the story continued. She was having a hard time believing that the previous Capitáns in this city could be so… cruel. So vicious… so...

... _savage._

She turned her attention back to her friend, wanting to hear what happened and how everything related back to Don Wilde, though she made a mental note to collect every single story she could of the atrocities that had been committed against the citizens of this town so she could somehow try to make things right with them.

"It was the third night after the assault, in the middle of the worst of his fever. It was also the day that their money ran out for medicine, that Don Wilde showed up at their door." Valorie smiled, her eyes sparkling as if the memory ignited the joy inside of her. "He dropped off not only enough medicine to sustain the boy through his fever and beyond, but also brought along a his own personal doctor, stating he'd pay whatever bills the family attained until the boy was healed. A few days later, when it was found that Tim would walk again, but with a permanent limp, that crutch you see him using was left at their doorstep by an unknown stranger, even though everyone knows who left it."

Judy was left speechless. On one paw, she couldn't believe that her predecessors had been so cruel to the citizens of the city, however, her interaction with those children her first day in now made much more sense. On the other paw, her impression of Don Wilde soared to new heights. As the elk family disappeared around a corner, Judy wondered how many other families had been scarred by the corrupt Capitáns before her, and how many of those mammals had been helped out so graciously by Don Wilde.

All of the Don's she had met previous to the fox, almost all at the academy as they would visit quite frequently to commiserate with Bogo over a glass, or several, of pinot, were rather arrogant who snubbed her and the other soldiers completely. This just led to another question entirely.

 _Why is Don Nicholas de la Wilde_  so _different?_  And if there was a reason as to  _why_ , what were his motives that  _drove_  him to be different?

"Then why does he want to meet with me?" Judy finally huffed. "He suggested for me to come to dine with him and not I, so why would he want to meet with a brand new Capitán he just met, when the previous ones have been so horrible?"

"Perhaps it is the same reason why you were eyeing that dress?" Valorie offered with a grin. "Maybe he simply wants to impress you or is smitten with already and wants to make you comfortable in a new city?"

"That doesn't make sense though," Judy responded. "He's a Don, such is impressive enough. I mean, his villa is twice as big as my warren back home, and I have 275 siblings that fit inside. Why meet with me of all mammals when he most likely any vixen in Califurnia would be more suitable, especially one of a more noble lineage? Why would he make friends with a rabbit whose origins are that of a carrot farmer and whose first act as Capitán in his city was to destroy a child's toy? I certainly wouldn't care to dine with me if that was all I knew about myself." Her head hung low, she held her paws in her lap as she became quiet, pondering the strangeness of the past few days and hoping things would become much more normal the longer she stayed.

Her questions came hard and fast towards the Jaguar, who had simply took them all in at once, nodding her head politely as the officer finished.

"Perhaps..." Valorire replied softly, leaning back against the post behind the bench. "He thinks you are more than what you see in yourself."

It wasn't as much a question, as a statement, Judy realized as she gazed at her new found friend. Before she could continue the conversation, a rather bubbly Sergeant walked up to them.

"Oh there you two went!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly as he held several bags in his paws. Judy looked down at her own bags that held her clothes, wondering what her subordinate had bought.

"Sergeant, what did you buy? That store was for ladies only, was it not?"

"Oh, um..." Clawhauser laughed nervously. "Well, you wouldn't want me to ruin the surprise for Valorie over here, would you?"

Judy grinned, rolling her eyes at the look of adoration the cheetah was casting towards the jaguar. The object of Clawhauser's gaze laughed and walked over to him, cupping his chubby cheeks in both paws before giving him a kiss on the cheek, the cheetah gaining a rather innocuous blush as a result.

"Have I ever told you that you were the best, Benji?"

"Not as much as I tell you I hope," he cooed back. For how adorable the scene was, and how much Judy wished she had something akin to it, other pressing matters were ebbing into her mind as she spotted the position of the sun in the sky.

"Clawhauser." The cheetah turned and saw his superior officer fidgeting. "How do we get back to the fort? We're almost out of time before I have to leave for Don Wilde's."

* * *

_ A half hour before meeting Don Wilde... _

Judy eyed herself in her new outfit. Standing in front of a full-length mirror built for mammals the size of polar bears made for an odd image as the rabbit barely took up a tenth of the mirror, but admittedly the dress looked quite good on her. The light blue of the dress shimmered in the light of the sun, while the blouse itself allowed for enough movement to be able to draw her sword if the need arose. It was probably the nicest personal outfit she had owned.

She hoped it would be good enough for a meeting with a Don to gather information about the town.

 _That is all I'm doing tonight…_ Judy repeated to herself.  _I'm simply going to meet with the most influential Don in Zootopia to learn more about this city. This has nothing to do with him inviting me over for dinner and has absolutely nothing to do with a date._

Settled on how she looked in the azure dress and cream toned blouse, she affixed her sword to her belt and bounded down the stairs. Leaving her quarters, she looked up to see one of her lieutenants standing watch by her door.

"Lieutenant Hiberton."

The bear offered a stiff salute as he turned to face her. "Yes Capitána?"

"Inform the soldiers that I'll be at a formal meeting the rest of the evening. Sergeant Clawhauser will be in charge until I return."

"Sí Capitán!" The bear offered another salute as Judy walked away, with each soldier she passed giving her an equally rigid salute. When she disappeared out of the fort, he finally relaxed, his shoulders slumping.

"Whew..." he breathed out, before grinning and running to the fort's cafeteria. He burst through the door, surprising several of the soldiers inside.

"The rabbit is gone for the evening!" he shouted joyously as a cheer went up from the gathered mammals. "Break out the drinks!"

**Flaco: Skinny**


	14. Date-not-Date?

Judy's paw was next to the door, and had been hanging there for nearly a minute now, Clawhauser's and Valorie's words hanging in her mind like lead weights.

 _This is not a date...this is not a date_...she repeated again and again. Finally, once her mind's thoughts had again been locked away, heavily bolted down with chains, she gave three quick raps against the door, missing the third as the door swung open almost instantly.

And there he stood, Don Nicholas de la Wilde, in all his glory.

"I was wondering when you'd knock," he replied, chuckling lightly. "I saw your approach and was waiting here for quite a...while..."

All words from him ceased as he looked down at the bunny Capitán. His mouth stayed open as his eyes absorbed every detail of her.

"Hermosa..." he mumbled, before shaking his head. "Where are my manners, please, come in." The fox stood aside, mouth still slightly open as Judy walked past him.

"Thank you Don Wilde, for setting up this getting to know each other meeting," Judy began, trying to ignore his reaction to seeing her, as well as Sergeant Clawhauser's words which had somehow broken free of her mental blockade of them.

"It's Nick," the don stated. "And if this is simply a get to know one another meeting, you are looking absolutely stunning."

A blush crept up Judy's ears, one which she tried to halt in its advances but found herself hard pressed to do so. "Thank you Nicholas. You are quite kind with your words."

"Deservedly so when they come to you, Judy," the fox said nearly instantly, his eyes not leaving Judy's form, before his tail froze behind him and ears shot up. "I apologize for my behavior. It is wrong of me to stare at you for so long. Please, follow me and we can start our sumptuous feast to welcome you to Zootopia."

Nick rushed forward, his speed startling Judy, who had to nearly jog to keep up with him.

"I thank you again for your hospitality. I wasn't expecting such kindness after what I did my first day here. Especially from a Don of all mammals."

Nick froze mid-step, his ears and head lowering slightly. "Never judge a book by its cover," he stated simply, before turning to again walk towards what must have been the dining hall.

Judy followed behind, wondering why Wilde had suddenly gone so cold, as the warmth that had accompanied his previous comments had suddenly disappeared. He led her to a nearby room, a crystal chandelier hanging above an elegantly carved mahogany dining table that already had been prepared for the occasion. Nick walked towards a seat, pulling it out for Judy, who thanked him for his kindness as she sat in it. Gently pushing it forward, Nick walked towards his own chair at the head of the table, facing her, giving Judy time to examine the expertly crafted silverware and dishes, which with their designs must have been bought and shipped across the Pawcific ocean from Chinning.

Nick's voice broke her from her reverie.

"I hope you are fond of what I have had prepared," he began, clapping his paws twice. Several servants, including a very small desert fox walked in, holding several silver trays with lids atop them. The small fox ambled up to Judy's chair, staring at her with what she assumed was slight distrust as he un-ceremoniously dropped the platter onto the table next to her.

"Finnick," came Nick's warning voice. Judy looked up to see a scowl crossing the Don's face. "Now what have I said concerning guests.

The smaller fox crossed his arms across his chest, before releasing them and gesticulating wildly with them. Judy was quite confused, as Nick seemed to nod, then frown, then laugh at whatever the tan fox was doing.

"Finnick, it's ok. I know what you mean. She is different than the others."

Judy's eyes widened as Finnick continued waving his paws in a series of movements. She caught him making several motions repeatedly.

 _Is this some sort of language only they understand?_  she wondered as again a smile crept up Nick's face as a server lightly placed one of the silver trays next to his plate.

"I understand," Nick stated with a hint of amusement. "We can discuss that later, alright?"

Judy watched the smaller fox nod, then proceed to offer her a  _very_  forced smile as he lifted off the lid from the tray he had carried in for her. Nearly instantly, Judy's mouth began watering as the smells of fresh watercress , honeysuckle and an assortment of vegetables alongside a large salad, hit her with the force of an elephants punch.

"That smells heavenly," Judy whispered, eyes closing as she simply let the smells delight and tease her senses.

Nick watched in amusement at the Capitán's reaction to her meal, as the lid from his own plate was removed, revealing a tender chicken breast fillet with a blueberry drizzle. "If you think that it smells heavenly, wait until you taste it." The don grinned as a smile came upon Judy's face. "It is my mother's own recipe, and I had it prepared especially for you tonight."

Her eyes darted open. "Oh, you didn't have to go to such lengths for me," she sputtered, ears drooping behind her as her gaze fell to the food before her. She noted some of the ingredients were incredibly rare to find in Califurnia, and that the entirety of the dish itself must have cost nearly a month of her salary to acquire the ingredients for it.

"I would hope that you will enjoy it then, as you deserve a proper welcome. I have heard from a servant in town that was buying some of the ingredients for this dish, that your superior does not seem to be too welcoming of you in your new position."

If Judy's ears could have lowered further, they would have. "So you heard then..."

Nick's smile turned to a frown. "Did I overhear my servants talking about how unjustly a certain rabbit in town had been treated? Yes, yes I have."

Nick watched her reaction carefully, studying her to see what her reactions would give him as information. He was still cautiously optimistic of the new Capitán, but was worried that she could still go the way of all the others...

Well, everyone except for Skye of course. Just at the thought of the vixen his ears lowered and his eyes lost a bit of their merriment.

It was that moment that Judy's gaze came up to meet his, and the rabbit noticed the pain in his eyes.

"Nicholas, let us talk of much merrier subjects, shall we? I don't want to bring you sadness with my presence here and if that is what I bring...then I shall take my leave."

"Don't go!"

His words had come out as a shout, startling Judy, Finnick, and the other servants in the room. His visage froze momentarily, before he regained his composure, clapping his paws once. All the servers left immediately, though several turned back to look at the Don with nervous glances and fleeting, worry filled eyes.

As they left, Judy was left wondering what was going on. So far, both of their emotions had been all over the place, and only in a few minutes had she seen Nicholas go from merry, to startled, to sad, to worried, and then repeating all of them. She knew she had been no better, as her confusion throughout it all was probably not helping the situation.

So she did the only thing she could think of.

Judy hopped off her chair and made it over to the foxes chair in a few quick steps, offering up her paw to him.

"Capitán Judith Hopps," she stated merrily. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The Don stared down at her in momentarily confusion, though it didn't last long before a smile crept upon his features and a slight chuckle escaped his lips. He slid easily from his chair, bringing Judy's paw up to his lips for a quick kiss. "Don Nicholas de la Wilde, at your service."

A slight giggle escaped from Judy as his lips tickled the fur of her paw. "It would seem that we have a well prepared dinner ahead of us. Should we commence in doing what both of us would enjoy?"

She noticed a slight flush creeping upon the Don's feature at her comment, grinning at seeing him somewhat flustered, though for reasons she didn't know. It just gave her a sense of satisfaction seeing him flustered after all the times he had done the same to her.

"Dinner...yes, of course," he stuttered, grinning through it all. "Yes, that is what we both would enjoy." He followed Judy to her seat, again pulling it out for her as she sat, before pushing it in again. "And might I say, that you look elegant tonight Miss Hopps."

"I could say the same for you, though you always look quite dashing, Mr. Wilde," Judy replied, giving his attire a quick once over, noticing that his green suit was freshly pressed, yet smelled slightly of the fields of his lands. As the daughter of a farmer, she could place the smell of the earth anywhere, a fact she prided herself on.

"Now that pleasantries are done with," Nick stated as he sat in his own chair. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Their dinner proceeded well from there, with friendly banter being exchanged, as well as the latest news from near and afar. Judy was quite impressed with how much Nick knew of the world at large, especially with how much he had travelled in his relatively short life of 25 years.

On the other paw, Nick was stunned to learn what Judy had accomplished in the short two decades she had lived in Califurnia. Becoming a Capitán was a hard achievement in itself, but doing so as a rabbit, especially the challenges that she outlined while getting to her goal, mesmerized the fox. Yet through it all, she didn't come off as a braggart or showy in her accomplishments. Rather, she was modest in her statements, attributing her success to how her parents had raised her, and wanting to help make the world a better place for all mammalkind.

As the sumptuous dinner was finished, Judy was enthralled as without even asking for it, the servants entered once again, clearing their plates of dinner before setting dessert before them. Judy again noticed how wonderful the blueberry crumble smelled, and had to force herself not to simply dig into the dessert with gusto. She also couldn't help but notice that Nick seemed to have the same issue as his lips turned up into a smile at just the smells from the sweet confection before him.

"I take it you are quite a fan of blueberries," Judy quipped, noticing a slight hum of satisfaction from him as he took his first bite.

"If I could, I'd marry them," he replied. "Though I'm sure it would be frowned upon if I then ate them afterwards."

Judy laughed, and Nick couldn't help but notice how elegant it was. It was pleasing to his ears in a way that a tuned piano or expert violinist couldn't surpass. The sudden thought of wanting to hear it happen more flew through his mind, before he tried to catch it and put it back into its cage where it belonged.

As her laughter dimmed, Judy noticed a slight twinkle in Don Wilde's eyes as she caught him looking at her, before he coughed into his paw and idly looked towards his blueberry crumble. There was something in his eyes that reminded her of all the looks her siblings had given to those they were dating.

And there it was again. That word...

... _date._

For her entire life, Judy was a rabbit of action. When she wanted something, she worked towards getting it. If a problem stumped her? She'd learn how to overcome it. If a thought came to her mind, she acted on it. Too many questions were flooding her mind over this dinner. Thoughts ranging from what the purpose of it was, why the Don was being so kind, did he have ulterior motives or did he just want to meet her as she was the new Capitán?

So many questions, yet the largest of them all stood out, as if lit with thousands of torches thanks to both Clawhauser and Valorie's comments from before.

Setting aside her fork, Judy looked upon Don Nicholas Wilde, a single intent in her steady gaze until he looked up to match hers with his own.

"Nicholas, I've been meaning to ask you this since you invited me to this dinner," she began, steadying her voice so as to not show the slight waver to it.

To his credit, not much betrayed his thoughts or emotions besides a subtle flick of his ears. "And what would that be?"

 _It's now or never..._ Judy thought. Steeling her resolve, Judy readied herself for whatever would happen next.

"Is this a date?"

 


	15. Likeness

 

The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped several degrees instantly. Had he suddenly taken his carefree approach to learning more about the new Capitán too far? What he thought had been delving for information and seeing how she would react, had been taken for…  _flirting?_

Or had he crossed that line long ago and was just realizing it now?

"What would you consider a date Capitán Hopps?" Nick questioned, rising to his feet from his chair, his meal now completely forgotten.

"Two mammals, getting together for a dinner might be one option," she replied, rising from her own seat, one paw holding onto the top of the chair.

"Then would you consider this a date?" he queried back.

"That would be up to you and your intentions, as you were the one who asked me to come and dine with you tonight." Judy's smile widened a little. "So, Mister Fox, what  _are_  your intentions towards me?"

"Oh, she's good!"

Both fox and rabbit turned towards the door, spotting a leopard peering through an opening, before ducking his head back through and slamming the door shut. Nick's ears lowered in frustration. He had to agree, Capitán Hopps  _was_  good at detecting subtlety behind actions.

Lucky for him, he was better.

"Do I have to have intentions behind my actions?" Nick casually remarked. "I mean, I am known as a rather hapless fop around the town so what if none of this was truly planned? I do enjoy hosting a good gala and tasting great food, so maybe that was all this is about? An excuse to eat a tasty chicken for me, and a salad for you."

Judy's smile, which had been growing up until that moment, dropped sharply. "For starters, I know for a fact that most of the ingredients on that salad you prepared are vegetables that smelled as if they were freshly picked, thus meaning that they weren't from your stores." She crossed her paws across her chest, eyeing the fox who suddenly felt a slight bit of nervousness under her watchful gaze. "Which  _means,_  that you had them fresh picked for this occasion, showing that you wanted it to be special, as I saw through the doorway that your servants left through, that you have a fairly large storeroom just beyond those doors."

Judy pointed towards the door, which held several heads poking out of it. The servants' eyes widened as the door was quickly shut… again. The rabbit turned her gaze back upon the fox, whose jovial attitude from earlier had dropped, as well as his ears.

"Now," she continued, sensing her advantage. "I also noticed that the blueberries which were on your plate had not the least bit of shriveling to them, again showing that they have been picked either early today or late yesterday. Judging from your eyes and how they just widened, I'm guessing they were picked just a few hours ago before they were prepared, and finally, that chicken that you are eating; if it had been stored, would reek of salt for preservation, but it  _doesn't..._ "

She watched in satisfaction as his face fell further. She took a step towards him, only slightly annoyed that he stood his ground instead of even flinching. "Now, all of that by itself would be rather flimsy to base this dinner as a date on, however, judging by the that the small fox leading the group, and how he was watching each of the others while ordering them around, meant that you wanted this dinner to go off without a hitch or mistake."

Her smile grew as she took several steps forward, smiling up at him as she now stood directly in front of him. "Now, mistake me if I'm wrong, Mister Wilde..." she leaned slightly, one paw on her hip as she poked him once in his chest. "Is this a date or not?"

Don Wilde stood speechless for several moments, his eyes gazing down at the bunny standing before him. Everything she said had been true. He  _had_  ordered Finnick to make sure this meal was special and he  _did_  have the ingredients freshly picked for them to eat.

_How did she know about the chicken when she's a bunny..._

"Oh, by the way," Judy stated, grinning as he shook his mind from his thoughts to focus on her again. "If you are wondering about how I'd know about the chicken, we raised them on my farm so that after we harvested our crops, we'd let them out to clean up afterwards. Plus predators seem to just love them so they served a double purpose."

 _Capitán Hopps, you are one smart bunny._ Nick normally would have laughed when a coincidence of that magnitude had happened in the past. Probably laughed for several minutes. However, he didn't even feel an ounce of joy spark within his chest to prompt even the faintest of chuckles.

 _"Was this really a date?"_ He mentally asked himself this, though it was a concept he hadn't given any thought to since Skye. Not after she...

Nick shook his head, silencing that line of thought. Maybe it was time to move on from that time of his life or maybe he was overthinking things again.

Could it be so wrong to call this a date?

After a moment of thought, he decided that maybe...just maybe, that might not be so bad of an idea after all, even if he felt memories of a certain grey vixen pulling at him to stay in the past with her.

"I hope you will not judge me otherwise for my behavior, but in regards to this whole evening… Is it a date?" Nick began, a paw going to scratch at the base of his neck. "Maybe… maybe it is, but only if you would allow it?"

Judy's eyes widened and she laughed, a genuine, surprise in the rather tense atmosphere. "Were you worried that I would think less of you for asking a rabbit out on a date?"

Now that he had decided that perhaps this was a date, Nick needed to think of a reason as to why he had asked her to join him for dinner. Originally his pre-date idea was to see what types of flaws the Capitán held, but as his time with the rabbit had drawn on, he found little to shame her for. Rather, he found she had started to grow on him. She couldn't know the true reason for his asking her to join him, that of him secretly being the most well known outlaw in Califurnia and wanting to know his enemies secrets, so a little white lie would have to do for now.

_Time to think of something quick, Nick._

"Maybe?" Nick groaned, trying to frame what he wanted to say. "I didn't want to ruin your reputation with the garrison, but my words sometimes slip from my muzzle before I realize what I've said. You don't know how much trouble that gets me into around tax season." His ears arched slightly as he realized the sentence that came out of his mouth, especially as Judy's eyebrow arched and she folded her arms across her chest.

"You have an issue with taxes, Don Wilde?"

 _Darn it… why did you say that!_  Nick thought, feeling a tendril of worry working its way up his spine. He didn't necessarily have an issue with taxes, but… he did try to hide a bit of his income that went towards his activities as Zorro. He couldn't have massive amounts of black dye, black fabric, masks, swords and his special gear showing up on his ledgers so he  _adjusted_  his income to the amount that he had  _after_  his gear had been bought.

Was it slightly dishonest? Perhaps, but he rationalized it by saying he was simply being honestly dishonest with dealing with the dishonest folks who set up a dishonest system in the honest attempt to dishonestly steal honest money from honest mammals.

After all, he thought of his dealings as Zorro as a business expense at the time he contrived this system, though now, he was wondering if after years of not being able to be caught as Zorro by the revolving door of Capitáns that had come through Zootopia, it would be ironic that he would be caught for tax evasion by a bunny, while on a date with said mammal, instead of as his alias.

_Think fast, think fast, think fast..._

"I have no issue with legitimate taxes," he began, carefully masking his emotions. "Do I grumble while paying them? Yes, yes I do. But do I skimp on what I have at the end of the year? No, no I do not."

He paused, watching for the bunnies reaction, which, thankfully, after a few moments of careful scrutinizing, she seemed to accept his story. Or at least shrugged it off for later.

"Well, Don Wilde," she began, uncrossing her arms and going into a much more relaxed position. "I'm glad that I don't have to bring you in tonight then, as I have rather been enjoying your company."

"You have?" His own comment took him off guard. It seemed as though the entire dinner had become a conflagration of assorted messes, be it verbal, emotional or physical in his mind.

The bunny nodded. "I have. The past few years have all been about working on becoming a Capitán in the army so I haven't had much time to spend in jovial company." Her ears lowered and her gaze fell to her feet, her words becoming softer until Nick could barely hear her. "Especially with how everyone doesn't seem to think a bunny can be a Capitán, or even a soldier in general. I was nearly cut from the program several times, just because I didn't reach their 'height' standards for eligibility."

"They judge you before they know you."

His soft words caught her gaze, her lavender eyes travelled quickly up to meet his green ones. "What?"

Nick sighed, moving again to his seat before sitting down roughly, his paws in his lap.

"Every day I go into town, I'm greeting as a superior figure, or if it is someone I know, as  _the kindly Don_. Never just Nick." The fox sighed, tilting his head backwards while he leaned back into his chair, his left paw draped over the back of it while his right he waved in front of him. "I just want to be one of the people, no? Not viewed as "The Fox Don" or "The benevolent Don". I just want to be..."

"...normal."

Both mammals eyes opened wide as they spoke the same word they had been thinking. A long moment of silence dragged on before Nick spoke again.

"I guess we've both have faced that problem then it would seem?" Nick chuckled, feeling much better about the dinner than a few minutes ago. He genuinely felt something now for Capitán Hopps. It wasn't some deep rooted feelings, but a feeling of shared experiences that brought mammals together due to sharing the same worries and fears. He didn't understand  _why_  he was sharing all this with her, but...

...it just felt right to.

"Capitán," he began, stopping as he felt a paw placed upon his knee. He looked over in surprise at the smiling rabbit.

"Please, Nick. Call me Judy."

A warm sensation built its way up from the tip of his tail to his ears at her voice, measured with both kindness and warmth. It instantly brought a smile to his evening.

"I think you are stealing my lines," he laughed, earning a giggle from the rabbit before he continued.

"I know we met yesterday," he began, "and that was a whirlwind of such veracity that I am sure my brain might still be addled by the events of it. But, I enjoy how you treat me like a fellow mammal. You try and treat everyone as equals and not by their titles and it makes me feel like I don't have to try to be something else, but I can be myself around you. I'm not a shifty fox, or a greedy Don and don't have to try to prove myself otherwise."

"Judy..." he meant to go on, but his breath caught when he found two grey arms clad in blue wrap themselves around his chest. He stifled a gasp of surprise when he looked down to see Judy, her arms encircling his diaphragm and her head resting against his chest.

"You are worth no less to me because you are a fox or a Don," she whispered into his chest. "You have been a friend to me when few others have, especially when I haven't deserved it due to my behavior in town."

His breath caught as she looked up into his eyes, the rich violet in her orbs shimmering slightly. "I wouldn't care if you were a mouse, an elephant, and especially a fox. You have shown you wouldn't hurt me if you wanted to, and have shown compassion to one who hasn't deserved it."

Nick felt the urge to reply, to beat back the words that Judy shamed herself with, yet she beat him to it. As if she realized what she had done, she pulled away from him, that warm feeling inside his chest leaving slightly with the removal of her gentle touch. It felt himself reach out slightly towards her, then paused, before retreating his paw. Both mammals now felt their ears burning, and Nick was sure, if the candlelight were any brighter, that he would see a reddish tinge to the Capitán's cheeks.

"I will try and prove myself for your friendship," Judy finally stammered, pulling herself fully erect as her ears straightened, masking the previous moment's awkwardness. "I will fix my mistakes I have already made, as well as those that this town has had to suffer through from my predecessors."

"That is a heavy burden for such a small mammal," Nick replied with a grin.

"Do you think I can't do it?" Judy retorted with a cheeky smile. "I could always use a partner if you're up to the task."

"Heaven forbid that I do that," Nick laughed as Judy joined in with him. "I would only be in your way as I have the same ability with the sword as I do with cooking, and both led to the same effect; injuries and embarrassment."

They both shared a good laugh at that, Judy thinking back to what had happened the day before with the Muchachos Boys Gang, and Nick, well...

He wasn't going to let on that the injuries and embarrassment would be to other mammals. He'd just let her think that his comment was towards himself this time.

"I think I can help with that," Judy offered. "If you have the time available I could always teach you."

He smiled.  _That doesn't sound like a bad idea..._

"I'm afraid I wouldn't want to cause you to lose hope with me, so for now, I feel I should not accept. I wouldn't want to accidentally run you through while flailing around like a frenzied squirrel."

"It would be with a blunt wooden sword, so there wouldn't be any impaling happening," Judy laughed. "I'm actually thinking of starting a class to help Zootopians learn how to protect themselves."

Nick looked at her now with rapt attention. "Really? Why?"

She looked up at him. "I want to make the world a better place, but, I am only one mammal and there are quite a few ruffians and marauders in this area. So if mammals could protect themselves, that might lessen the crime and help keep everyone safer."

 _Maybe I can finally hang up my mask after all..._ Nick mused, smiling down at the rabbit, who may have been the smallest Capitán to walk into Zootopia yet, but held the second largest heart of any of them.

And just at the thought of who he felt held the largest one, as well as still part of his own, he felt his jovial mood shatter like a stained glass window when met with a thrown stone.

"I think you will be good for this city," he stated abruptly, trying to hide his welling emotions before she noticed. "I haven't felt that way in a long time, but, I think there is something different about you that this city has needed for a while."

He looked down to see Judy smiling up at him, yet her grin turned to a frown as she saw his face.

"Nick, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "Nothing is the matter."

"Was it something I said?" she questioned, taking a step forward, only to flinch as he took a step back.

"No, it is nothing like that… just, memories of a… a friend."

"Oh..." He saw out of the corner of his eyes the look of concern she shot at him, before she attempted a smile. "Well, if you ever want to talk I'm here, though, I do seem to remember that we still have some dessert left over, so shall we relieve ourselves of unpleasant feelings and go back to merriment?"

Nick had to give it to her, that her spirit was indomitable and her attitude towards wanting to bring others happiness and goodwill was rejuvenating as he felt it somewhat calm his healing heart.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Judy."

* * *

They had spoken well into the evening, until the moon had risen high into the chilly autumn night sky. As they stepped out onto the veranda, Judy finally realized the time that neither had noticed pass by on the wings of eagles as they had thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. The rabbit shivered slightly in the cold, wishing that she would have brought at least a coat to wear as her dress wasn't nearly as warm as her uniform. Without a thought, Nick reached over to a nearby coat hanger, pulling off a light blue shawl then wrapped it around the rabbit's shoulders.

When her paws went to grasp it, their fingers touched, sending a lightning bolt coursing through each of them from their touching digits to their beating hearts. They each quickly pulled away, Judy laughing nervously as she pulled the garment close around her body.

It was then that Nick noticed  _which_  shawl it was that he had given her, and suppressed another round of unrequited thoughts and feelings associated with it.

"Looks to be a chilly evening, though the moon should dispel any brigands from assaulting you in the darkness.

Judy gave Nick a sneaky glance while patting her sword. "It is why I've trained myself well. I've handled myself against the Muchachos Boys  _and_ Zorro now. "

"Zorro you say?" Nick asked with faux astonishment. "If he is out and about, then if wasn't as handy with a blade as I am with a spatula I'd offer to protect you and escort you home."

"Do you think Zorro will assault me in the night?" Judy asked.

 _I pray that he never has to..._ Nick thought hastily, giving the bunny a wide grin.

"I do not think that you need worry about him," he replied, his facade not showing his inner turmoil. "He only goes after those of ill-will and hardened hearts, of which you contain neither."

Nick noticed a slight blush rise in her ears at his comment. Again the conversation fell into silence, neither moving from the doorway.

"Thank you again for the dinner and evening," Judy finally stated. Though her voice was warm, her eyes hinted at a vein of worry coursing through her. "Might we be able to share another evening together soon?"

Nick nodded, before bringing her paw to his lips and placed a light kiss upon it. "It would bring me the most pleasure to do so."

"Sounds good to me," she laughed. "Hopefully when Magistrate Bellwether comes, she'll allow me to continue seeing you and not keep me busy with serving justice all the time." Nick could only give a false smile at the ewe's name, and with a smile and a final wave of her own, Judy walked off into the night, the moonlight causing her fur to glow a shimmering white and silver while the slight bounce in her step reminded him of...

The similarities were simply too much, and before she had reached the front gates, Nick sped into his villa, leaving the front door open as he sprinted towards his room. Shutting his room with a slam of his door, breathing hard, he crossed the room in a few short strides towards a blanket covering above the headboard of his bed. Yanking the cloth off viciously, a cloud of dust billowing into the air at the movement, Nick stood panting in front of a painting of two foxes, tears trickling down his cheeks. He looked over the portrait, falling to his knees as his paws went to his knees.

"Oh my precious Skye," he whispered, "Why must you have gone away and left my heart alone, yet remind me of your presence with this new Capitán." He raised his head to look to see those blue eyes staring back into his own. "And it was all due to you following orders and disappearing into the night, nevermore your lovely smile to be seen." With tears streaming down his cheeks, he placed a paw upon the painting. "I remember you asked me what I would do without you, and I hope you remember my answer. My heart aches and..."

He kneeled and wept into his sheets, paw still touching the painting, not noticing Finnick looking through the door at his friend. The smaller fox shook his head, before looking up at the painting that caused so much anguish in the household.

In it stood Nick, looking supremely joyous as he held the paw of a silver furred vixen wearing the uniform of a Capitán. In the painting, her fur seemed to glow with a radiant light, a mixture of white, grey and silver that gave her a regal appearance. The look in Nick's eyes in the painting were only that of adoration towards his fellow fox, as both were gazing tenderly into each other's eyes. That feeling of love expressed by the painter's brush was something that even the hardened heart of the desert fox couldn't suppress as he looked at it.

He remembered when it had been painted, as that had been one of the most joyous days in Don Nicholas de la Wilde's life, as shown by the diamond ring on the vixen's finger.

He could hear Nick sobbing into his pillow, and shook his head as he walked towards his friend, overhearing his silent plea from the red fox. This time, it was something new, something that he hadn't heard the Don ask for since he'd been a witness to these frequent occurrences over the past year.

" _Please forgive me..."_  Nick choked out with a raspy breath _."Wherever you are Skye, please…_

" _Forgive me."_

 


	16. Cleaning up the Town

 

The week after the dinner flew by in a flurry of activity for Judy, of which topping the list was the impressive listing of criminals brought into the jail by the rabbit Capitán after she made some adjustments to the patrol schedules. It may have also helped that she personally led most of the patrols after she had followed several and had grown frustrated when they all seemed to begin at the fort, and end at nearby taverns.

The second time she had watched it happen, the five soldiers on patrol were met by a very irate bunny, thumping her foot so hard against the dirty road that a nice display of dust had arisen around her. She had quickly taken action, breaking up the groups that had up until that point had been self-created, making sure to put officers she could trust leading each one. And if one wasn't available, she'd lead them herself.

Which led to the latest problems she faced: jail overcrowding.

For Zootopia had only five cells in it. When she had gone into the city to find the local jail and constabulary force, she had found an aardvark asleep at the front desk, with a sign over the three cells they had stating, "Lock yourself up and leave when you need to", with the keys for each cell hanging next to the doors.

Never in her life had Judy felt like smashing her head against a brick wall more than when she saw the state of affairs in the city regarding how they dealt with criminals. Especially when the aardvark told her that nobody has had to arrest anyone in months thanks to The Fox.

_That is going to change..._ Judy had thought, and change it did.

With her new guidelines in place, reforms taking effect and personally leading patrols in and around the city, a newfound fear had come into the hearts of the criminal underworld. By the end of the fourth day, the fort's cells were full and by the next day, the town's jail had reached its limit with the amount of smugglers, thieves and banditos she and her soldiers had caught.

_Well, that or Zorro had caught and left as gifts for us..._ she silently grumbled as well.

Each morning, as the soldiers would go to raise the Zootopian flag above the town square, they would find several bandits tied to the pole, confessing their guilt to their crimes to a stunned rabbit, while a large Z would be found, carved into the dirt road.

The insufferable fox grew upon her mind, and even though she silently thanked him for helping to clear the city of criminal behavior, she would rather that the city did not require a masked vigilante, who himself was a criminal, to clean up the streets and keep mammals safe.

It had become her new goal to capture the Fox, and bring him to justice before Bogo could return. Just so she could show him that she could indeed do her job. The memory of their last meeting still wounded her pride, and she would show the large mammal that she _was_ worth just as much as any other Capitán in Califurnia.

Though only one mammal knew of that internal frustration and surprisingly enough, it was another fox.

Don Nicholas de la Wilde was the fresh air she needed to continue going each day. That first day after their dinner together, and directly after she had found the first batch of thieves tied to the flag pole, she had seen him walking across the street and ran over to him. Through a wide yawn he seemed surprised to see her, expressing it in his incredulous gaze, though that soon changed to a smile as she greeted him with a hug. They had talked about the dinner, the two wolverines he had seen tied to the pole, as well as Judy's bold declaration, which had come with red tinged fur and heated ears, that she wondered if they could make their dinners a daily occurrence.

To her delight, Don Wilde had cheerfully obliged, stating that, _'With you, I could never feel safer nor so whole again.'_

With that confusing statement, one which seemed to cause his own tail to suddenly dig to the ground before rising swiftly again, he had bid her adieu, kissing her paw..as well as placing another deftly upon her cheek, before he hurried away. Judy had stood there in silence, her paw reaching up to the spot where he had kissed her, only for the muffled laughter of the troops watching her to bring her out of her fox filled dreams.

The next few days, if any word could describe them for the bunny, would be divine. A moonlight stroll with Nicholas along the docks came that night, followed by finding the next group of criminals tied to the pole, which had come to be known among the soldiers as "Zorro's Standard", the next morning who she had seen unloading cargo the night before from a small skiff onto the docks.

Apparently Zorro had seen them as well, and noticed, where she had not, the catnip inside a few of the containers. The next night came a carriage ride along the outside of his villa. Judy had been thrilled with the invention, peddling as fast as she could while Don Wilde steered and stressed about how fast they were going over the sound of her whooping and hollering.

The next morning? The mole she had seen along the pathway outside the Don's villa carrying a shovel and bad of 'dirt', showing up tied to Zorro's Standard, with the bag of dirt open, revealing coffee grounds which had been stolen through a hidden tunnel from the Don's private stores.

She had returned the beans to the fox that night, who accepted them gratefully and praised her work in finding them for him. Though she couldn't lie, and as she revealed that it was Zorro, and not her, that had found them and captured the perpetrator of the crime, Nicholas had smiled, stating that he'd have to thank him sometime for saving his caffeine supply.

Her frustration, and silent praise, for the masked vigilante, grew with each day, something that only grew more with each villainous character he captured. It was after three straight days of this that she decided to begin a regimen of nighttime patrols.

So here she was, walking down the center of Palm street with two soldiers accompanying her as they let the moon guide their path.

"Capitán Hopps!"

Judy turned at the shout from behind her, only to frown and draw her sword at the figure before her. The Fox stood in the middle of the street, the moon outlining his figure as his cloak tossed in the soft breeze blowing towards the bay.

"It is good to see you again, and in such high spirits for so late at night," Zorro laughed, the flash of his teeth visible in the pale light cast from the glow of the moon. "I was afraid that you'd forgotten that villains tend to come out at night rather than during the day."

"Villains such as yourself?" Judy answered, taking a step forward while the two wolf soldiers with her stared at her in disbelief.

" Capitán, what are you doing seeking to cross blades with The Fox?" whispered Wolford.

"Yes, Capitán," the fox chided with his ringing laughter. "Why cross blades with me when there is a richer prize in store for you and I, no?"

Judy grit her teeth and took another step forward, "The only prize who'll receive is a cell with your name on it, Zorro!"

Judy bounded forward, followed sullenly by the other two soldiers. The Fox laughed before he turned and fled further up the road.

"Don't lose his scent," she hollered towards the wolves, who nodded in agreement as Zorro dashed around a corner and out of sight. They managed to follow him throughout the city, his ringing laughter or slight catches his cloak twirling around a corner the only reason they were able to keep up with him.

After nearly a mile, they lost the trail completely at the entrance of a large warehouse. Judy growled out her frustrations, stabbing her sword into her scabbard while thumping her foot.

"How could you have lost his scent, Wolford?"

The wolf shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry Capitán, but I don't think that was his scent we were following."

Her head turned slightly. "What do you mean, Corporal?"

Wolford gulped. "What I mean, is that the scent I was following from him led us here, but there are no other scents around."

_Again, he has outfoxed me..._ she thought angrily, looking up at the warehouse before her. A sudden sound of wood knocking against wood, and a muffled cry from inside brought her gaze to the door.

"In there!" she shouted, before darting to the doorway. In a powerful leap, she slammed her feet against the door, smashing it open, the bunny rolling to her feet as she landed inside.

"Oh..." was all she could murmur, before she rolled away from a sword that nearly took her head off. She quickly drew her own, just as the badger approaching her swung his cutlass again at her. She deftly knocked the blow away, before slicing his wrist with her blade. It wasn't deep, yet the larger mammal dropped his sword with a howl of pain as he grabbed as his bleeding arm as Wolford and Howlerton came through the door. Two quick kicks to the face, and the badger was out like a candle.

Inside the rest of the building was complete pandemonium, and not just because of the three panda's currently engaged in a swordfight with the object of her chase. The three larger mammals were chasing Zorro around the room, The Fox grinning and laughing as he dodged their sword strikes and, in the case of one of the pandas, a swing from his short staff. There were cartons and containers of illicit cargo, drugs, and paintings she knew to be stolen littering the room. Covering the floors, the walls, and even hanging in boxes from the rafters.

"Nice of you to join me this evening, my cute little bunny!" Zorro laughed as he deftly dodged a rather large club aimed at his face before clocking the panda in the head with the hilt of his sword. "Would you care to take one of these panda's as your dancing partner?"

Zorro couldn't have missed the eye twitch on the rabbit even if he had tried.

_Good..._ Nick thought as he spied several more mammals bursting into the room from a side entrance. _She's going to need all the anger she can muster to help me bring down Po's gang._

"Howlerton," Judy's voice was steady as she undid her cap and gently laid it upon a nearby crate.

"Yes Capitán?" the wolf stated as several more brigands appeared from around a corner, their sights set on the small grey bunny and two wolves.

Facing towards the group, she turned only her gaze to the wolf. "Go back with Wolford and grab the wagons and some men. I'll need them to help clean up the mess by the time you get back."

"What mess?" the wolf whimpered, fearful at the tone in the Capitán's voice as the rabbit rolled her shoulders and popped her neck, eyes set upon the nearest brigands running towards her.

"The one I'm about to create!" she thundered, as she raced towards the approaching group.


	17. What hurts You, hurts Me

 

Capitán Hopps wiped at the smear on her left cheek, the red stain thankfully growing no larger across the single crimson line crossing from her chin to her mouth. It wasn't a large cut, but she was glad to have had the glass of the broken lantern at her feet cut her rather than the rusted metal that made up the rest of the now broken device. She shivered, remembering how her cousin had stepped on a rusty pitchfork back home in Bunnyburrow and had died of the fever and lockjaw five days later.

She eyed the bottle in her other paw, griping it tightly as she thought to how she receive her latest battle scar.

The bunny looked around the warehouse, noting how quiet it was compared to just a few minutes earlier, her eyes stopping upon the open window in the back corner, where a large Z was burned into the wood by a flaming blade.

A sound came from behind her, her ears turning towards the noise as she heard the voice of Corporal Wolford breaking the silence.

"¿Que pasó aquí?" the startled voice of the lupine rang out before his eyes caught hold of the rabbit standing in the middle of the warehouse. The groans of several criminals came from random place throughout the building, including a tiger and cheetah who's tails were tied together around a pole while hanging upside down from the second floor rafters. The wolf's eyes bulged at the sight of one of the felines.

"Is that señorita Tigress? The most wanted feline in Furizona? What is she doing here?"

"Wolford, see to it that the criminals are secured and ready for transport when the rest of the platoon arrives," Judy replied flatly, giving the large tigress a furtive look, finally recognizing the Chinning floral print dress the feline had been wearing.

" ¡Si, Capitán!"

The wolf saluted, then grabbed several lengths of cord sitting atop the remains of a crushed box, deftly tying the arms together of the panda that had crushed the container, and still lay comatose upon it.

Surveying the scene as the jangle of swords and claws on cobblestone reached her ears, signaling the arrival of her platoon, her eyes again fell upon that one letter, marked in black. Her paw reached up to touch her cheek as she sighed in frustration.

He had escaped her again.

* * *

**_(Twenty Minutes earlier)_ **

"What mess?" the wolf whimpered, as the rabbit rolled her shoulders and popped her neck, eyes set upon the nearest animals running towards her.

"The one I'm about to create!" Judy thundered, as she raced towards the approaching group. Easily sidestepping the approaching sword thrust of a mongoose, she smashed the hilt of her sword into the mammals nose, knocking him out nearly instantly. In what seemed like an effortless motion, she leaned down while sliding forward on her knees, dodging the swing of a machete that would have neatly sliced her in two, straight underneath the legs of a warthog. The thug now looked down in alarm as she slid under him, Judy's sword slicing through his hamstring, and making the mammal collapse to the ground. The other four mammals, a cheetah, raccoon, tiger and a bear, blinked in surprise at how suddenly the rabbit had dispatched two of their friends.

It was the bear that reacted first.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that you cute little..."

"I wouldn't have called her that!" a voice interrupted from across the warehouse. The bear turned to see Zorro grinning at him as he jumped onto scaffolding and out of reach of the two remaining pandas, with one laying prone on the ground, a large canvas sack slumped atop him, sand spilling out of several holes in the burlap.

"And why not?" the bear growled, as he saw The Fox point back behind the ursine while deftly parrying a blow from a short staff one of the pandas swung at him. The grizzly turned, just in time to see a pair of grey paws connect straight into his muzzle.

He only saw stars after that as his frame shook the warehouse as he crumpled to the floor. Not out, but severely dazed.

"That would be why, my fine furry friend," Zorro laughed, before jumping off the scaffolding just as one of the pandas smashed its supports with a sledgehammer. The wooden structure crashed to the ground as Zorro jumped to a nearby platform, grinning as he grabbed a length of cords, as one of the pandas climbed up a nearby stairwell to get to him.

"I see, this must be a beary special occasion for The Po gang to be teaming up with the Bearstein Bears."

"Yeah," the panda replied with a growl as he climbed to the floor, grunting as he hefted his rather large body onto the platform. "You're funeral."

Zorro tsked. "Now that can't be, as I haven't received the invite in the mail yet."

The panda gasped as he finally reached the top of the stairs, climbing on all fours for the last few steps.

"Stairs...my old foe," the dual-colored mammal gasped, pushing himself to his feet as he swung a loose punch as the fox. Zorro dodged out of the way as the meaty appendage crunched into a support beam behind him, the panda howling in pain as Nick danced around behind him, slicing the rope belt the panda used to hold his shorts up while wrapping the length of cord around the larger mammals feet.

The massive bear leaned over to grab at his clothes, his face blushing as The Fox got behind him and gave the panda's rear a healthy kick. The mammal, already unstable, now flew forward and off the platform. The rope around his feet went taut before the panda hit the ground, causing him to swing sideways and into a nearby support beam.

"Ow!"

Nick winced as he watched the panda swing the opposite direction, shaking as the panda collided with a support column underneath him.

"Sorry Po," Nick chuckled heartily, "that was slightly im-Po-lite of me to do that to you."

The fox's ears flicked as he heard movement behind him. Expecting the other panda to appear, he quickly turned around, sword held forward, only for his eyes to widen in surprise as Capitán Hopps landed gracefully atop the platform he stood upon.

"Why Capitán, I didn't expect you to deal with our cities unwelcomed guests so quickly," Zorro laughed, making sure his voice was low and deeper than normal, circling to his right as Judy drew her own sword and circled around to his left. "If I would have known the rest of these gang members weren't a challenge for you, we could have switched whom we had fought."

The bunnies eyes narrowed. "Zorro, you are under arrest for multiple accounts of assault, destruction of property and vigilantism."

"Is that all?" The Fox replied casually, though never letting his gaze leave the rabbit's movements. He'd learned from his last fight with Judy, as well as secretly watching from afar several more she had while cleaning up the city, that she was not a rabbit to be underestimated. "I would have thought I'd have more charges by now."

At that Judy smirked. "I could always add more."

"'You're welcome' should be topping that list señorita," Zorro chimed back, his words smooth as silk. "If not for me, you'd have never found this little den of thieves."

"And 'I surrender' should be topping yours," Judy quipped back, before leaping forward, her blade aimed at the fox's left foot. Zorro jumped backwards while tossing his sword to his side, twisting in midair as he grabbed at a horizontal pole level with the platform, using it to fling himself further forward and safely onto the ground. The fox turned and grinned at Judy, who sheathed her own blade before leaping at the beam.

The rabbit twirled not once, but twice around the wooden pole, flipping through the air and landing behind the vulpine, quickly drawing her sword and leveling it at Zorro's throat. She smiled at the shocked expression upon his face.

"Who trained you?" Zorro questioned, his gravelly voice hinting amusement.

"No one you'd know," Judy shot back, stepping forward as Zorro stepped backwards.

"I must know," the vulpine requested, the thinnest hint of nervousness in his voice as he again shifted to his right.

"Get used to disappointment," Judy growled, taking another step forward onto a creaking board.

Zorro smirked. "I'm never disappointed though, especially now that I've seen a rabbit fly."

The look of confusion on Judy's face was only momentary before the fox's foot slammed down upon the edge of the creaking board Judy was standing on. The wood groaned beneath his feet, but stayed where it was.

"Huh, usually that works," Zorro murmured, only confusing Judy more before he smashed his foot against the board a second time.

"Woooah!"

Judy felt herself being flung airborne, spinning head over paws towards the ceiling of the warehouse.

"Now it worked," The Fox laughed, watching as the rabbit began her downward descent. Ambling forward, he looked straight ahead, reaching out his arms and catching the surprised bunny just before she hit the ground.

"I know the ladies always fall for me, but this is on a whole different level, no?"

Judy blinked in surprise, before squirming out of the fox's grasp and onto the floor. She brought her blade forward, only to growl in frustration as Zorro countered it with his own. The pair danced across the floor of the warehouse, their blades throwing sparks across the ground as metal struck metal. For every thrust, the other parried, and for every slice, there was a dodge. For minutes they dueled, neither gaining the advantage as with The Fox's left paw use for his sword was frustrating her efforts. She had grown so used to dueling those who fought right pawed, that this fox's left paw swordsmammalship was causing her to become quite frustrated. Judy's eyes narrowed as another thrust was blocked, Zorro's sword and her own locking between them.

"I have not met such a wonderful swordsmammal as yourself, Capitán, in quite a long time," Zorro stated. At least Judy was comforted by the fact that the fox was breathing heavily.

"Fifteen years I've trained so I can hunt down brigands like you."

She jumped away from him, causing him to stumble forward. Judy spun, bringing her sword around in a horizontal slice, only to grow annoyed as her blow was parried by Zorro's blade. In a move that shocked her, Zorro reached out and brought her close to him in what to any mammal would appear an intimate embrace, their bodies separated only by their clothing.

"I think you deserve a reward for such efforts, no?" The Fox laughed in his deep baritone. Judy was still so flustered by their sudden embrace, that what happened next nearly caused her to drop her sword.

Zorro leaned in and placed a kiss against her lips.

"What the...?!" Judy shouted, pushing the fox away as he laughed, her ears turning bright red as her anger matched her embarrassment.

"I can see why foxes chased rabbits back in the stone age, as you taste quite delicious," Zorro soothed, his unbearable grin causing her own anger to double.

"Why you little cretinous, carrot-plucking, cabbage shredding..."

"Language," Zorro chided, only causing Judy to become further angered. "I wouldn't want to have to quiet you again like before, no?"

"I'll show you language!" Judy shouted as the rabbit ran forward and attacked. With each strike, her movements became quicker until she steadily began pushing the larger mammal back against his will.

_I think I may have pushed her a little too far that time..._ Nick thought, realizing that he may have finally bitten on more than he could chew.  _Note to self, she won't drop her sword when kissed like Skye did..._

Her name brought a moment's hesitation to his thoughts, of which Judy took full advantage of. With a quick twirl of her blade, Zorro felt a slight prick on his wrist as her sword caught his skin, his sword clattering to the ground besides him. He couldn't miss the grin the rabbit had even if he was blind.

"Surrender Zorro," she huffed, breathing heavily as she again leveled her blade at his chest. "And I'll let you walk to the jail rather than drag your unconscious form by your tail."

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Judy growled in frustration, realizing that the only way to force The Fox to surrender, would be to knock him out completely. Silver tongue and all.

She twisted her pommel in her paw, readying her hilt to smash directly into the fox's head. In reaction, Zorro did the only thing he could.

Reaching behind him, his paw found a hanging lantern and pulled it from its hanger. Judy didn't even have time to duck before the lantern smashed into her face, knocking her sideways and her sword from her paw. Judy hit the ground hard, gasping in pain as she struggled to her feet, before slumping to the ground disoriented and vision blurred. A stinging sensation caught her attention on her cheek, and when her paw wiped at the spot, she pulled it away with a hiss and a streak of crimson covering her white paw. Groaning, she tried to push herself up again, but failed, falling again into the hay she had luckily been knocked into.

It wasn't the blow that surprised her though, it was what she thought she heard right before it.

"I'm sorry Judy."

It was then she felt herself being flipped over, and found herself staring into the eyes of Zorro that were filled with...

...was it concern?

She watched as The Fox pulled something from his pocket, a small vial of liquid. Her heartbeat quickened, nose twitching as she watched him undo the cork and bring it to her face.

He paused, and again she saw what looked like sorrow in his eyes.

"Capitán, I did not wish to hurt you, but you gave me no choice. I still have work to do before I can let you do with me what you will, but until then...please, for your sake and mine, remember that as long as you continue doing what you are doing, I am on your side."

"You're a rouge and a vigilante," Judy groaned, wincing as the words seemed to hurt as she spoke them.

"I did not chose this life, señorita," Zorro state calmly, bringing the bottle to Judy's cheek, letting three small drops fall upon her wound.

"Gah!" Judy screamed, feeling the liquid burning into her skin, thrashing about until she felt two strong arms holding her down into the hay, and again found Zorro looking into her eyes, his face mere inches away from her own.

"That will clean the wound so it does not become infected. You're lucky the glass cut you and not the rusted metal. I'll leave you the bottle so that you can continue to clean the wound."

Judy was surprised by his statement as the throbbing died down into a dull ache. "Why would you do this?"

His answer came almost immediately.

"You care...just like she did. And I will not let another good Capitán be destroyed by this town."

"Wait...what do you mean?" Judy asked, but The Fox was already leaving, disappearing into the shadows. Catching movement at the edge of her vision as she pushed herself to her feet, she saw Zorro climbing up and towards the top window of the warehouse, his sword glowing red as he brought it three times across the beams of the wood above the window. He turned and caught her eye for the third time in as many minutes, shaking his head.

"Remember Capitán," Zorro stated, his voice softening and instead of the deeper, harsher tones of each previous meeting, she sensed an undertone of warmth and  _something_  else in his words. "I have a mission just as important as yours to fulfill. It is once it is complete, I will gladly turn myself in to a honest soldier like yourself."

Then with a swish of his cape, The Fox was gone. Yet his words and sudden disappearance weren't the things on her mind as the final bit of his cape and pure black tail fluttered from view. It was something that caused a knot of worry to form in her stomach.

_Why did he sound so much like Don Wilde just now?_

 


	18. It's Curtains for You, Fox!

The next morning came early for Judy. The activities of the previous night had taken a toll on her, both physically  _and_  emotionally. Losing to Zorro, just when she had him cornered, was one thing. Losing to him, being wounded in the process,  _and_  having him coddle her like a child afterwards?

_That_  was humiliating.

Thankfully none of her soldiers had been around to see her defeat at the paws of the vigilante, nor did she feel the need to expound upon it at all. She would get her revenge against The Fox, and the only thing that would satisfy her at this point was seeing him behind iron bars.

Though on the other paw...

_Why did he care so much about me?_  she wondered, pausing to look at the vial of medicine on her desk. After the criminals of the Po and Bearnstein Bear gangs were taking into custody, she went to the field medic at the barracks with the vial to make sure of its contents.

" _Zorro_  gave this to you?" the doctor, a female honey badger, had asked. With Judy's reply came in the affirmative, a surprised shake of the predator's head was followed by whispered appreciation. "Then Zorro must have either deep pockets or a pharmacy as this is some expensive medicine. That or he must like you for some reason and wants to keep you around or something."

Judy had left with a huff, but not before taking the bottle with her, and was why she was now studying it, paws clasped beneath her chin as she sat on the oversized bed facing her desk.

_So many unanswered questions..._ she mused.

_Why_  would Zorro give her the medicine when he could have just left her to fend for herself?  _Why_ did he apologize for hitting her and what was this mysterious  _mission_  he had claimed to have, and that he would have to finish before willingly giving himself up?

That last question was the most puzzling of them all. In every experience she had with the fox, or had learned from other officers and soldier's accounts, Zorro was quite adept at escaping any type of trap sprung on him. Even the honey pit that Corporal Pooh had come up with had failed to catch the sticky vigilante.

_What is Zorro's mission..._

Thoughts played out in her mind about exactly  _what_  it could be. He had mentioned just before he had fled something about  _not letting another good Capitán be destroyed by this town?_

"What does that even mean," Judy grumbled, staring again at the ointment on the table. "At least he thinks I'm a good Capitán." She accepted his compliment, even if it had just came after taking a lantern to the face though why would The Fox care on whether she was a good Capitán or not, considering that all he had done in the past was run them out of town.

"Something is going on here," Judy murmured, sliding off the bed and walking toward the door. There were only a few mammals that she trusted could give her accurate information in this town, and she was sure if there was a way to catch a fox, the best way would be with the advice from one she knew.

* * *

Judy had barely made it out of the courtyard of the fort before she heard a familiar laugh coming from inside the barrack's cantina.  _Looks like I won't have to walk there after all_...she thought, grinning as she quickly switched routes and made a beeline for where her soldiers were having breakfast. Several voices could be heard, laughing and talking as she pushed open the door, the air filled with the delectable smells of breakfast wafting through the air. The mammal she was looking for was sitting atop a table,his feet propped up upon a nearby seat.

"So then I said to her," Don Wilde chuckled, the soldiers listening to him with eager ears. "Madam, if I were your husband, I'd drink it!"

The group roared in laughter, the fox chuckling along with them, as, unbeknownst to the group, a certain grey bunny had walked up behind them, jumping up on the table so she was precisely behind the smartly dressed fox.

"And what would you drink, Don Wilde?" She grinned as the fox leapt slightly at her surprise comment being spoken nearly directly into his ear. Catching himself before he fell off the table, and leaning on one elbow, he looked behind him into the grinning face of Capitán Hopps.

"Oh, Capitána, I did not hear you coming," he laughed nervously as he brushed off his black vest with gold trim and readjusted his red sash. "If I had, I would have given you a proper introduction befitting such a beauty as yourself."

Judy couldn't help the heat rising in her ears as he gently took her paw from where it was placed on her hip and brought it to his lips for a chase kiss. Both heard subtle snickers from several of the gathered troops, as well as a rather loud "awww" from the back of the group where Judy saw a familiar portly cheetah with clasped paws staring at them rather affectionately.

Rolling her eyes, Judy smiled at the Don as she caught his eye. "So, you saved me a trip up to your casa, Don Wilde."

Smirking broadly, the fox couldn't resist wriggling his eyebrows. "Oh, did a certain fox enhance your dreams so much so that you couldn't resist seeing me as soon as you awoke?"

"More like  _haunted_  my dreams," Judy chuckled.

"So you admit I was in them," Nick replied, the sauciness of his tone not going unnoticed by the bunny. Slightly flustered, Judy crossed her paws across her chest.

"As much as I'd like to deny that statement," she paused to glare at a few soldiers who had begun snickering, grinning as they instantly quieted and looking anywhere besides at their Capitán, "I actually had something to discuss with you that needs to be done in private."

" _Awwwwwwww!"_

Judy rolled her eyes for what seemed would become quite a habit while commanding this fort. "Clawhauser..." her voice was filled with both a hint of reproach and slight annoyance.

"Oh, oh...sorry Capitána. It's just that-

"Clawhauser..." she again admonished.

"Alright, keeping quiet. I will remain quiet. No haré un sonido," he replied while crossing his heart.

"Well, if the señorita insists," Nick stated, hopping off the table while extending his paw for Judy to take to help her off the table. Smiling, Judy took his offered paw and jumped off the table but before she could even thank him, he had deftly wrapped her paw into the crook of his elbow, leading her towards the door.

"So, shall we?" he asked, eyes glimmering with amusement.

"Of course.

* * *

"So," Nick began, looking around the room with interest as Judy walked in behind him.  _Still as spartan as the last time I was here_...Nick mused.  _Judy mustn't like decorating very much..._  "What would you have to speak with me about Capitána?"

Judy shut the door behind her, though not before glaring at several soldiers who had attempted at following them to her quarters. The icy stare caused them to bolt rather quickly to her amusement. She turned her attention to the Don who had just jumped up onto her bed while placing his paws upon his knees.

"Well," Judy began, taking off her bolero and throwing it upon the coat hanger. "I was wondering if you would be able to help me out with a case I'm currently working on?"

Nick's ears perked. "Oh, what would you need the help of one such as I when you are so capable of dealing with anything that would come your way?" He sent her a grin, it growing larger as he noticed the reddening of her ears.

"It's..." the rabbit stated, rubbing her paws together as she jumped up into the rather oversized chair next to the desk. "It's about Zorro."

_Ah..._

Nick's grin dropped quickly as he assumed the full theatrical presentation that was his disdain for his alter ego. "So...what is it that the desperado has done now?"

"What do you know about him?" Judy could see a momentary flickering of the fox's ears as he raised an eyebrow.

"Do you mean to say that I am working with him?" he questioned. "Is this because I'm a fox, as well as he?"

He was grateful to see Judy's ears shooting up in alarm. "Oh no, no, no...nothing like that. I mean, yes, but not in that way. You see..." Judy murmured as Nick's expression only became more despondant. "Oh sweet cheese and crackers," Judy finally growled, rubbing her paws across her eyes. "Don..."

"Nick," he replied, keeping up the saddened gaze he held upon her, which only seemed to make her ears droop further if it were even possible.

"Nick, I didn't mean to intone anything of the sort that you were in league with him. I just don't know anyone besides you, Weidii and the soldiers at the fort in town who I could go to for help."

"And I'm guessing you don't want to see Weidii again?" Nick asked, the barest of smirks appearing on his face. He was happy to see an amused smile appear on Judy's face as well.

"That would probably not go well," she intoned. "And the soldiers here don't know anything about him other than that they are afraid to face him, so that leaves you as the only friend I have that can help me."

Nick leaned back upon his elbows, looking up at the ceiling instead of meeting Judy's amethyst filled gaze. "Well, I do know everyone."

"You're quite modest," Judy laughed to Nick's nod.

"Quite so, Señorita. I'd have you know I'm the humblest Don in all of Califurnia." They both shared a laugh before the fox continued. "Though I do not know much about Zorro," he paused to allow a sneer cross his features, "but I do know some of the history that he has in this region."

Judy's ears perked up quickly. "Oh!" she stammered, quickly jumping up from her seat and onto the desk to grab a piece of parchment and a quill pen. Nick held in his chuckle at the rabbit's enthusiasm.  _Maybe this might change her opinion of Zorro and his actions..._ he mused, thinking of how he could play this conversation to his advantage. He hadn't planned on speaking to Judy about Zorro today, but had run down to see how she was doing after their fight the night before. A shiver of shame slid down his spine at the memory. Rather than focus on it however, he placed a faux smile upon his face as Judy looked up from her paper, entirely missing the look of sadness that had been there moments before.

"So," Nick began, leaning forward and clapping his paws together. "What would you like to know about our city's illusive fiend?"

"For starters," Judy began, "how long has he been operating in the area?"

Nick scratched at his chin. "Well, of that I am not too sure, though I'd have to believe he has been around for at least five years or so."

"Has he ever killed anyone?"

"No."

Judy looked at Nick after his fairly quick answer, an eyebrow raised. "Capitán, that is one thing that all of us locals have learned about him, or her, or whoever this Zorro mammal is. Nobody has  _ever_  heard nor seen him kill anyone. Wound? Yes. Mock? Absolutely. Humiliate?" Nick left off with a chuckle at that one.

"What's so funny?" Judy asked, putting her ink quill and paper down.

"Sorry, sorry." Nick waved off her concern as he managed to control his chuckling. "A few years ago, when Capitán Blastmoot was here, there were some desperados raiding my villa's lands, kidnapping my servants and asking for ransoms. Naturally I went to the Capitán for help, but he simply shrugged it off and said it didn't concern him."

"Why are you laughing then!" Judy scolded. "That's terrible! No Capitán should treat citizens like that."

"You didn't know Blastmoot," Don Wilde calmly replied. "The only thing that got him out of the cantina was a promise of stronger drink outside of it. Anyways, I digress...where were we?"

Judy replied through her astonishment at hearing yet  _another_  horrible story of what the city had gone through. "You were at your servants being kidnapped?"

"Oh, right, of course. Well you see, after that meeting, I walked home, feeling quite low and unsettled at how to help protect my family, of which I include my servants as such, when to my much astonishment, I saw those same desperados that had been raiding my villa tied to a saguaro cactus upside down with a note saying,  _You're welcome_ , and signed simply with 'Z'."

Of course, Nick wasn't going to tell her  _when_  we was walking home like that, as that event had actually taken place several days later, giving him enough time to stage the event. It took him most of that time to figure out how to write as Zorro so that his penmammalship wouldn't give him away if anyone looked at the note.

He looked up to see a quite pensive Judy staring down at the floor. His laughter died in his throat when she finally caught his gaze and he noticed how sad she looked, her eyes looking like they were filled with a sense of dread and the realization of something terrible had happened and she was powerless to help.

"Have all the Capitán's here been evil?" she asked. "Is that why whenever I walk around, even when I try to help, mammals reject me or hide inside their homes?"

" _Capi..._ Judy, listen to me." Nick moved from his place on the bed and walked over to Judy, placing his paws on her shoulder. "Not every Capitán has been bad. There was one exception in the past few years, but that is a rather tender memory and there isn't enough tequila here to let me tell that story. However," the fox lifted up her chin so her eyes could meet his. "Zorro is about the only law this town has seen in years. The vigilante kind, but law none the less. It might take a while for Zootopians to see you as I do, but give them a chance and some time, no? They might just see you for the crime-fighting, kind, cute bunny you are."

Judy couldn't help but chuckle as she gently tapped the Don's arm. "Don't call me cute."

Nick made a statement of rubbing his arm tenderly. "What did you do to get such strength Señorita. I'm afraid I won't be able to feel my arm for a month." He made an effort of picking up and dropping his 'useless' arm, much to the laughter of Judy.

"Alright," she laughed softly, a smile finally appearing on her face. "You've convinced me. I'll wait until Zootopia is clean once more before making my last arrest of all the villains in this country to be that cunning fox. He may have been the law in this town, however, he has assaulted an officer last night, and that I will not have."

"Wait... _WHAT?"_  Nick yelled before looking all over Judy's body as the rabbit flinched at his reaction. "What did he do to you?" Nick paused, timing his outburst as he let his paw raise to her cheek, gently rotating her head so he could see the wound from the night before.  _Good, you're using my medicine..._ Nick thought with relief as he saw what otherwise would have been a dark, jagged red line, be only a light pink one.  _I will apologize to you someday for this Judy. Just not now..._

"Did he do this to you?" Nick asked in faux wonderment, putting on as much an act as he dared. Though he wasn't sure what was an act, and what was his actual feelings, as he still was feeling the shame of his actions the night before. Judy shrugged off his paw, turning while standing on the step so she was facing the door. One nod was the answer he needed.

"I know I shouldn't let it get to me but..." Judy began, rolling her shoulders as she turned back to face Nick, "and I shouldn't judge you or any of fox for what Zorro did but...he sounded so much like you last night and...that hurt. I don't know why, but it did." Again she turned. "I apologize. That was wrong of me to lump you and all of your species in with that rogue."

Nick was angry with himself at her response. Her fists were balled, ears lowered and before she turned, he saw her nose twitch a single time.  _There could have been another way you_ estúpido _fox. She didn't deserve that, not when she's the only one since Skye who wants to help._

Seeing Judy staring at nothing in particular made Nick's heart twinge in pain.  _I have to do something to help..._  Nick glanced beyond the Capitán to a small container next to the door. A grin settled upon his muzzle.

_Perfecto_.

"I can't have that now can I?" Nick resolutely stated as he raised himself up to his full height and walked over to the door.

"What...what are you doing?" Judy asked, blinking several times as the fox grabbed an umbrella from the clay pot next to the door. Nick looked down at the umbrella, then to Judy.

"What does it look like Capitána? I'm going to go avenge your honor upon that villainous scoundrel!"

Judy was in front of the door before he could open it, shaking her head. "I can't allow you to do that Nick," she stated, her use of his name causing a faint tingling in his heart. "He's proven to me he is quite apt with the use of a blade, so I doubt you and that umbrella would fare well against him if you found him."

"But...your honor my lady," he replied, lifting the 'sword' in his right paw as he held up the umbrella with a gleam in his eyes. "With this umbrella of justice, I shall avenge thee seven fold upon this hapless rogue. It shall become my sword of honor, striking down my foes with a-"

Judy's laughter interrupted his monologue as he gazed upon Capitán Hopps. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Do you even know how to use that, 'sword'?" she asked. "I remember you mentioned at our first dinner that you have never used one."

Nick blinked. "Of course I know how to use it," he replied, while pointing towards the end of the umbrella. "Put the pointy end into the other mammal."

Judy groaned and shook her head. "There is so much more to it than that Nick," she replied as she began to laugh.

"Again, your honor!" Nick replied, swinging the umbrella, only to have it smack against a bedpost with a wooden thunk, 'startling' him.

"I think my honor would take an even bigger hit if I allowed you out like that without training you first."

Nick's eyes opened as a cheeky grin enveloped his muzzle. "You...would train,  _me?_  To avenge your honor?" Judy nodded and in a flash, Nick bolted to the window, throwing it open with glee.

"Don Wilde, what are you doing?" she yelled, scrambling after him as he began shouting out the window.

"Glorious day everyone! Your Capitán has decided to train me in the use of a blade to defend her honor against Zorro!" His shouts startled many a soldier to look up in at the umbrella wielding fox currently hanging halfway out of their Capitán's window.

"What do you think that's about?" Corporal Wolford asked a nearby soldier as he pointed towards the still shouting fox. The other soldier shrugged.

" No lo sé," he replied blandly, watching as two grey paws began grabbing at the fox's lapel, trying to drag him back into the room. "And I'm not paid enough to care."

Finally, Judy was able to drag Nick back into the window. " _Nick_ , what were you doing?!" she hissed, her arms raising with her question as she pointed one at the window and one at him.

"I will be defending your honor, your beautifulness," he decreed, waving the umbrella with a flourish, only to get it caught up in the drapery around the window. When he attempted to pull the umbrella free, he only managed to get his foot snagged in the fabric. With a loud yelp, he tumbled forward, grabbing at the cloth and with a mighty tearing sound, brought it down to the floor with him.

"Do not worry Señorita, I will escape from this rascally evil!" Nick shouted, his voice muffled by the drapes that he was attempting to escape and was now near completely enclosed within.

"What have I gotten myself into," Judy groaned as she began to unwrap the fox from his cage. After a minute of his struggling, she at last managed to get his head out of the fabric, though couldn't stop the giggle from escaping when she saw how mused up his otherwise perfect fur was.

"Thank you my Capitán," he stated with a heavy breath, his muzzle mere inches away from Judy's own. The two stared at each other for a moment, the reflection of the other mirrored in each other's eyes. "I was afraid I'd never see the light of day again, nor a beauty that surpasses all the earth's glories."

"And what would that be, hmm?" Judy asked, giggling as she helped to unwrap the rest of him.

"You."

His single word froze her like a statute. Which was a good thing for Nick as he froze as well. Both were still for several moments, before Nick cleared his throat. "I should be going."

Judy was still standing rooted to her place, eyes wide and paw still holding the curtain as Nick wormed his way out of his containment.

"Capitán Hopps!"

"What is it?!" Judy asked, startled by the sudden entry of Clawhauser into her room. She walked around the bed until she saw the massive feline, her eyes still somewhat wide from Nick's comment.  _Did he really just say what I thought he said?"_  She threw that thought aside as she approached the feline, putting on an air of professionalism as the big cat gave her a crisp salute while extending his other paw which held a letter.

"This came for you by errand boy, a mere momento ago."

Judy raised a single eyebrow as she accepted the letter, not noticing the curious look Nick was giving her as he peered over her shoulder at the paper. She quickly scanned the writing, growing more astonished before she raised her gaze from the letter to the cheetah.

" _Who_ gave you this?" she asked, waving the paper in front of her.

"As I said Capitán, an errand boy."

"Did you catch a name?"

"Today."

"You'll tell me his name then?" she repeated.

"But I just did," Clawhauser replied, a bit flustered.

"No, you said you'd tell me today."

"Yes, that's his name," Clawhauser repeated.

Judy groaned, not up for any more crazy antics at the moment and began to read the letter. It only took a few seconds for her to read it, a look of steely resolve settling upon her face.

Judy turned and walked towards the coat rack, leaping up and deftly grabbing her cap from off it. "Sergeant, assemble your best squad and have them wait near Pier One while..."

"Oh, I love going there with Valorie! She loves shopping for fabric and..." Clawhauser squealed, only earning a puzzled stare from Judy as he trailed off into a nervous chuckle. "Sorry Capitán."

"Right," she replied. "While a second squad lies in wait down near Pier 12."

"What is going on, Capitán?" the cheetah asked. "What did the letter say?"

Judy let out a heavy sigh before fixing her gaze on the big cat. "It was a tip to a smuggler ring unloading a shipment of drugs at the wharfs today.  _We_  are going to be intercepting that shipment and making sure it doesn't wind up in the paws of innocent civilians and ruin their lives."

Clawhauser's smile could have been brighter than the sun with the way he was grinning. "I will assemble the soldiers immediately, Capitán!" With a swift salute, he jogged off down the hallway, the stairs creaking as he made his way down them.  _Seriously, how did he sneak up here_? Judy mentally asked herself again.

"Capitán? If I may?"

Judy turned to see Nick standing next to the bed, a serious expression on his face. "Yes Don Wilde?"

"I know I am no soldier, and that even though I want to help you, putting a sword in my paws would probably only injure myself, but what can I do to help?"

Sighing, Judy walked up to her friend and clasped his paws in her own. "I'm sorry, but I do not think there is anything you can do, especially with... _that_ ," she replied calmly pointing at the curtains with a twinge of sadness. "Unless the fiends are curtains though, as we could use your abilities in taking them down if they were those."

A shadow of a smirk crossed his face as both mammals turned to see the destroyed curtains hanging in ribbons from the wall. "Is it a bad thing that I wish they were, Señorita?"

"Not at all," Judy giggled, grinning up at Nick who returned her gaze with his own filled with affection. Judy felt something churn inside her, a warmth that gradually ascended inside her as she saw Don Wilde smiling down at her.

"Well, if I can't help you out in dealing with these scallywags, then at least I can send you off with this," the fox stated, and with a flourish, brought Judy's paws up to his lips and placed a rather tender kiss upon it. "Stay safe, Judy."

Then, to the surprise of both rabbit and fox, Judy broke his hold and the Don suddenly found himself wrapped up in the arms of the rabbit. It was all too soon before she broke away, nervously petting at one of her ears.

"Um..." she began, nervously laughing as she took a step backwards. "I'll make sure to come back safe and sound, as I  _did_  promise to teach you the ways of the sword."

"I look forward to it," Nick replied, feeling his heart leaping in his chest as Judy turned and marched out of the room. He watched her leave, placing a paw over his quaking heart as if it would help calm its racing tempo.

 


	19. You Sunk my Battleship!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by R3D Fawkes & KungFuFreak07

Judy watched the ship in front of her from her position secreted behind a large crate off of Pier 3. It was a small sloop, not too big, though large enough for the mixed sized mammal crew manning it at the moment.

For the past fifteen minutes she had been watching them unloading the freight with the dock hoists, lifting the net encased cargo out of the hold of the ship and onto waiting carts. The winds were blowing out across the bay, keeping her from even getting the slightest smell of what could be inside the containers.

_The note said drugs, but I can't just walk up or else they'll dump all the evidence..._

Judy let out a frustrated huff as she continued to watch the mammals unloading crate after crate. So far her planning had all been for naught. The natural curve of the bay turned this portion of the city into a small peninsula with deep channels on either side of it, perfect for shipping, but bad for planning ambushes. Especially when said smugglers land at the center most dock, only in view to the ones just to her right and left, and far out of visual or verbal contact with her troops awaiting her commands.

"I should have at least consulted a map before planning this," she groaned in to her paw. "At least then..."

A sound to her left caught her attention, her ear swiveling towards the sound of clawed paws on hardened wood. She turned and saw the source of the sound, a monk wearing a brown robe from head to toe walking along the wharf, paws held together in his sleeves as he chanted quietly to himself.

Checking the unloading ship one last time, she turned and ran towards the mammal, careful to stay behind the line of crates she had been using as cover.

"Good sir," she began, "I would advise you to leave the area as quickly as possible for your safety." Keeping watch on the figure, she paused, nose twitching and eyes going wide as the monk passed her by, seeming oblivious to her request as he continued his chant.

"Sir, please, I have to advise you to leave the area, it isn't safe."

_"Pie Iesu domine, dona eis requiem,"_ the monk chanted softly, shuffling forward as Judy walked by his side, careful to avoid the mammal's swishing black tail, growing more worried with each step he took towards the docks. She snuck a quick peek around the robed mammal, breathing out a sigh of relief as she noticed none of the sailors had noticed them yet.

" _Please..._ good sir monk, I have to ask you to leave for your safety." The brown robed mammal finally stopped and Judy sighed a breath of relief. " _Thank you_ sir, now if you could-"

She stopped as the monk turned directly towards the dock and started down it, heading straight towards the very mammals she was trying to get him away from.

"Oh no..." Judy groaned, shoulders slumping as she ran forward, hiding behind his large cloak to at keep somewhat hidden from those she had been watching as the monk continued his chanting.

_This is bad...this is bad, this is very bad..._ Judy thought as the sound of the monk's chanting grew louder. It wasn't until she heard the same line repeated three times that her ears shot up in recognition.

" _Unloading catnip as we speak, catch them we will. Yes indeed."_

"Wh-what did you say?" Judy exclaimed, not even attempting to hide her surprise.

"Hey you down there, Monk! Get outa here!" She heard the shout come from the ship, and was surprised to see that they were nearly at the gangplank leading up to it. She couldn't see the speaker belonging to the voice as she was concealed behind the monk's robe. She looked up at the back of the hooded figure's face.

"Did you just say..." she began, only to see the figure turn. Her astonishment was at near record levels when she saw the grinning masked face of Zorro looking down at her.

"Hey, look at me when I'm talkin' to ya, ya bum!" the now angry voice of the sailor said. Judy heard the creaking of wood as hooves cloped what must have been down the gangplank as Zorro lifted a paw to his lips, wishing her to be silent.

"Ready for some fun, Capitán?" he asked, his grin broadening as she saw a rather large hoof settle itself upon the shrouded fox's shoulders.

_Oh not again..._ was all Judy could think as she caught the gaze of a yak staring down at her from over Zorro's shoulder.

"Hey, I ain't the captain..." was all the mammal got out before Zorro struck, landing his elbow straight into the larger mammals lower region. The yak let out a high pitched whine before toppling backwards and off the dock, splashing into the water below just as Zorro tossed off his disguise. The robe fell behind him, right atop Judy who struggled against the fabric.

"So, interested in helping me take down _another_ drug ring?" Zorro asked as she finally clawed her way out of the robe. She sent an angry glare his way, before noticing the shouts of the crew around her.

_Ten...eleven...twelve..._ angry stares she counted glaring down at the two of them.

"I daresay I could use your help about now," Zorro chimed in, offering a paw towards her as several mammals that were further down the docks started towards them, grabbing whatever they could find nearby to use as weapons. Several picked up planks of wood while others settled upon discarded belay pins or the large hooks attached to the wenches moving the freight about the dock.

Judy looked at the extended paw for barely a moment, and with her level of annoyance growing within her, she shook the paw of the one mammal she had never thought she'd ever team up with.

"Deal."

The grin the black toned fox gave her was slightly infectious. "Wonderful!" he chirped, drawing his sword as she drew her own, the pair standing back to back as another group of sailors were walking down the gangplank towards them. "You take the docks? I take the ship?"

"Fine by me," Judy growled, before the aforementioned groups charged.

Her senses honed by years of practice, Judy timed the oncoming groups movements before darting towards them, leaping up and high above them, with them trying to follow her movements as she landed on the ground behind them. Thankfully the mongoose at the tail end of the group had yet to see what had happened in front of the larger mammals, and failed to stop when the others had, running directly into the shin of the rhino in front of him.

With a quick slam of her hilt to the back of his head, he was out like a light, leaving five mammals left in front of her.

_Only one way to fight a mob..._ she decided, before darting directly into the middle of the group with a ferocious war cry.

* * *

Zorro watched Capitán Hopps leap over her group of mammals, silently praising the rabbit.

_She's good_...he thought, still watching her as he brought his sword up to counter the downward swing of a scimitar aimed at his skull. He turned to face the mammal, whose wide-eyed expression showed his surprise at being so effortlessly blocked.

"Maybe try a horizontal slice next, no?" Zorro asked with a cheeky grin as he pushed the surprised mammals blade back, as well as the startled deer himself.

"A whats-is-zontal?" he asked in confusion, only to find the fox's two feet smashing into his chest, knocking him further into the group of mammals coming down the gangplank. The bear behind the deer was caught off guard, paws waving in the air as he tipped off to the side of the gangplank, grabbing onto the only thing he could as the effects of gravity took a hold of his heavy frame. Both the bear and the deer fell from the gangplank, splashing down next to yak who was holding onto a buoy.

Laughing merrily, The Fox ran forward, ducking under the swing of an axe from an elephant, before dashing between his legs and up the rest of the gangplank. With the mass of the elephant blocking the view of the two mammals behind him, he was easily able to skirt between their legs before arriving on the mid deck of the ship before the other mammals could even notice what was happening.

"Looking for someone?" he asked with a laugh, causing the three mammals to turn to see him now smiling above them, his paw resting upon the staves before he kicked the heavy cask down the gangplank, hitting the caribou nearly instantly, bowling the animal over before the barrel was launched into the air, skipping right over the head of a jaguar before smacking into the elephants face. The pachyderm fell backwards, a loud crack sounding through the air as he hit the wood of the gangway. All three mammals looked up at the fox with fear in their eyes as the wood cracked and broke beneath them.

The three mammals in the water looked up just in time to see the board finally snap in half, and the backside of an elephant heading straight towards them.

"Ah cripes-" the yak grunted before the grey mammal was all he could see.

Nick watched in satisfaction as the massive splash rose directly above him, as well as wetting the wharf where Judy was currently down to fighting just two mammals, the rabbit deftly running between the legs of the elk and rhino, causing both to repeatedly smash their belay pins into each other instead of their foe.

_She's knocked out a lion, a tiger, and a bear...oh my_...Zorro thought in amazement, before an angry snarl from behind caught his attention. He turned, eyes widening as he saw a massive cannonball arching towards his face.

* * *

"Yeowch!"

Judy grinned at the pain filled scream of the elk as the rhino again smashed the elk's hoof with a belay pin, missing her by just inches as she skirted around the slippery deck, the wood causing her to slide a little more than she liked for her comfort.

"You'll have to do better than that," she mocked, weaving behind the rhino and slashing his tail with her sword as she passed. The large mammal grunted, jumping forward and into the elk, causing the latter to fall backward onto the deck, smashing his antlers into several crates, impaling them.

"Why you little jerk!" the rhino shouted as he turned, his partner trying frantically to release himself from the crates currently holding his head hostage.

The rhino took a step forward, only for both him and Capitán Hopps to be distracted by a loud yelp from on deck. Both turned to see a cannonball sail over the railings of the ship, nearly hitting the rhino in the face.

"What the-?!" the rhino shouted, turning to see several more cannonballs flying over the railing. Judy saw her chance and timed her jump.

_This is going to sting..._ she thought, before leaping into the air at an incoming metal ball. She rotated her body in a full circle, before nailing the sphere in the middle of her second turn. A blast of pain shot through her foot, but she grinned when her efforts were rewarded and the cannonball diverted course _just_ enough.

The rhino had barely turned back to face the Capitán, when he saw her foot connect with a large metal object, sending it directly into the rhino's horn, snapping it in half before hitting the large mammal directly between his eyes.

Judy landed on all three paws, her sword held out behind her as she glanced up at the rhino stumbling in front of her. The large mammal groaned, then giggled before turning 180 degrees and began crashing toward the ground.

_"Finally"_...the elk breathed as she freed his final point from the crates, only to hear a creepy giggling sound ahead of him. Looking up, he saw the stupefied expression on his fellow sailor's face before the rhino toppled on top of him.

Judy turned from the dust and debris, that flew up when the rhino crushed the boxes littering the docks. The jaguar next to her feet groaned as the dust cloud billowed around them, Judy quickly grabbing her sash and holding it over her nose, mouth and eyes while backing away. The feline was caught in the middle of the cloud, which settled over him, causing his nose to twitch frantically. The cat bolted upright and on all fours, a maniacal look in his eyes as he dashed forward towards the crates. Judy heard the sound of splintering wood and hazarder a look, only to shake her head and roll her eyes.

Playing in a pile of catnip was the jaguar, rolling around in the pile and covering his clothes in it as he purred contentedly.

"Glad I'm not a cat," Judy muttered, before hearing the sound of swords clashing above her on the ship. Realizing that with the gangplank gone, she would have to find another way to board the ship, she eyed a nearby hawser line and scampered towards it while sliding her sword into its scabbard. Carefully making her way up the wide cable, she launched herself the final few feet up onto the railing of the ship, drawing her sword when she saw Zorro currently trying to fight off four mammals that must have come up from below deck.

The fox was doing remarkably well, managing to direct the smugglers thrusts and blows into striking their ship-mates swords or weapons rather than engaging all four directly.

Still slightly winded from fighting the six mammals on the docks below, Judy decided that jumping into the fray would probably only lead to injuries. Wincing at a rather close swipe that nearly hit the fox, a second thought popped into her mind that caused her to shudder.

_Just let them beat on each other. Who cares if they beat Zorro? Then you can just go in and arrest them all._

Judy shuddered as the fox rolled around the main mast of the ship before darting up the stairs towards the poop deck begging the smugglers to follow him.

_I can't do that. I gave him my word that we'd work together! My word is my bond!_

Growling at herself and the horrible thought she had, Judy made up her mind. Again putting away her sword, she grabbed two belay pins from their mooring in the ships railings and hurried up towards the poop deck after the other five mammals.

Reaching the top step, she leapt into the air, throwing the first of her belay pins into the nearest mammal she could see. The gazelle crumbled into a heap instantly, the belay pin bouncing across the deck before sliding to a stop near Zorro's feet. Two of the smugglers turned to face her, a wolf and a margay, though the former went down in a furry heap as her second belay pin crashed into his skull. The lupine gave a small howlish whimper before slumping to the wooden deck, a goofy smile upon his face.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that, rabbit," the margay hissed, grabbing the belay pin still spinning on the deck, a sword in his other paw. The smaller cat nodded to the last mammal who must have been the captain, a scurvy looking fox with ragged clothing and an eye patch over his left eye.

"Captain, you got The Fox?"

"Aye, this landlubber won't know what clocked his gizzards out quicker than a pint of rum would muddle his stomach."

Judy looked over at Zorro, both shrugging their shoulders in confusion at the statement before their foes advanced on them. Judy eyed the margay in front of her, realizing that this foe was not like the other mammals she had faced so far.

_Clear eyes, good posturing..._ Judy took a step back as the margay took a quick jab with his sword, deflecting the attack to the side as she then jumped to the side to avoid a belay pin to the face.

_...quick reaction time and speed..._ Judy grinned as she circled the cat. _Finally a challenge._

Nick, on the other paw, was already engaged with his foe as Judy and the margay were studying each other. He always figured the best way to figure out an opponent was to test them, and that was just what he was going to do.

"I see you have an eye for boating," he jibed.

Well, testing them _verbally,_ was also quite enjoyable as well.

"THIS IS A SHIP! _NOT A BOAT ye pilfering son of a banshee!"_

The captain growled before dashing forward, his peg leg clumping against the wood as he swiped his hook-paw towards the black clad fox. Zorro laughed as he dodged the wide swing, before he blocked a horizontal slash with his sword.

"You quite live up to the presentation of a salty pirate, no? Do you happen to have a parrot?"

Again the captain growled as he began to clash swords with Zorro. "My ole beau' be lost mid davy jones locker ye' scurvy swine!"

"Oh, was that a sneeze?"

Nick's comment only seemed to anger the smuggler captain further, causing him to attack with reckless abandon. His swings became hazardous to all around, as he rotated between attacking low and high, barely missing his margay shipmate who barely ducked in time.

It was the break in Judy's bout that she needed. Twirling her blade around the margay's she twisted it around his paw, swiping the weapon from his paw as it spun over the railing and into the ocean. Judy only allowed a slight grin to cross her muzzle before she re-commenced her attacks. Parrying a jab from the margay's belay pin, she turned into her fox, slamming her elbow into the Margay's nose. The disoriented cat stumbled back from the attack, opening his eyes only to feel Judy's knee pummel into his stomach, not once, not twice, but three times before finishing the assault with an uppercut to the cat's jaw. The cat straightened nearly to his full height, seeing spots as he spotted three bunnies running at him.

"So cute..." he slurred, before a now irate bunny spun in a full circle and nailed the cat in the face with a massive tornado kick. The margay was out before he even flew over the railing and onto the deck below.

Huffing and puffing slightly, Judy straightened her uniform and leveled her bolero before stepping to the railing, eyeing the unconcious cat below.

"I am _not_ just a _cute_ bunny."

"I wholeheartedly agree with that!" she heard Zorro shout from across the deck. She turned to see nobody else on the deck, then turned her attention upwards into the rigging and saw the two foxes fighting amidst the shrouds leading up to the sails.

"What are you doing up there?" Judy shouted, quickly making her way to the rope ladders, jumping upon the nearest one and climbing behind the two foxes who had reached the main sail's boom and had again begun their duel.

"I have no idea, Fluff!" Zorro shouted, crossing swords again with the captain as they fought across the wide beam. With the canvas to Zorro's right, it gave him a slight advantage with his left pawed dueling stance, yet the fox captain showed a remarkable amount of dexterity for a one footed mammal, jumping back and forth as he parried and feinted with the desperado. It wasn't until Judy came up behind the smuggler that the captain began to have trouble. His vision split between dueling with the fox on one side, and the rabbit on the other brought a grimace to his face.

Still, Judy found her opponent to be quite skilled, staying on the defense only with his hooked paw against her while trying to focus on engaging The Fox. After a fairly close brush from the claw that she managed to block, an idea sparked within her as she held her sword within the curve of the hook. Tugging on the metal, she watched as the fox began to stumble atop the boom. Grasping the claw with her other paw, she pulled harder, causing him to stumble even further.

The fox captain turned his attention towards the rabbit with a growl when he noticed her tugging on his hook. "Why you course ball of fluff!"

He swung his hook, yanking the rabbit off the boom and swinging her out above the deck of the ship twenty feet below. The fox completed the turn, throwing the bunny directly at Zorro, who had stepped forward, stabbing his blade forward.

He saw the grey blur coming towards him, but could do nothing to halt his blade as the rabbit swung towards it.

_"JUDY!"_

The rabbit saw the blade coming towards her, as well as the look of fear in the eyes of the Desperado she was so relentlessly chasing. With all her strength, she curled up around the claw, then clamped around the claw as the blade sliced directly underneath her be a mere inch.

_Too close._..she thought as Zorro withdrew his sword, glaring at the fox captain with a newfound disgust.

"You will not injure the Capitán," he spoke softly, his usual gravelly tone changing to one that was much more familiar to Judy.

_Oh no...oh no, oh no, oh no...not him._

"And what think ye o' the blood of a curr like her?" the captain spat, taking advantage of the rabbits tenseness to fling his arm again over the abyss. This time, Judy couldn't hold her grip any longer, slipping off the hook, slicing a bit of her left paw as she let out a scream. Tumbling through the air, her flight suddenly halted as she landed in a net overhanging the open cargo hatch of the ship. Hearing a growl, she turned her attention to the fight on the boom that had renewed with vigor. Ni... _Zorro...its Zorro..._ she reminded herself, was showing a fury she hadn't seen in him before, his blade slicing through the air at such speeds to create a humming sound as it was handled with precise care.

_I didn't know he could fight like that..._ she thought, watching as he steadily pushed the captain back until he was braced against the edge of the boom, his left hook holding onto the canvas sail to keep himself from falling. Zorro growled at the other fox before performing a feint, followed by a remise, catching the hilt of the captains sword and flicking it away with ease.

"Now hear me, ye landlubber," the captain drawled. "Me thinks we can settle this wi-"

His words were halted as The Fox grabbed the lapel of his opponent, smashing his head into the captain's before following it up with a knee to his opponents gut. The captain wheezed once, spittle flying from his mouth before Zorro smashed the hilt of his sword into the underside of the pirates jaw.

A sharp tearing sound rent the air as his hook ripped apart the sail as he tumbled down towards the deck, flicking him into nearby rigging. He struggled within it, becoming more entangled as he flailed about.

Zorro sighed a breath of relief, turning in relief towards Capitán Hopps, giving her a slight smile.

"We work well together, eh Capitán?" he stated, his normal gravelly tone back in full force. She nodded, words caught in a lump in her throat as she stared pointedly at the fox in black. Moving to stand, she stumbled when the rope and netting surrounding the cannon she was standing on jerked down several inches. Hearing more tearing sounds, she looked at the source of the noise and saw the ship captain tearing away at a cable attached to the hoist holding the cannon.

"This be the end of the line for ye, rabbit," he scowled, slicing more of the line.

Judy leapt up to her feet, looking for a way off the hanging weapon when the whole mess swung and a new weight was added to the mass suspended in the air.

"What...Nick?" she gasped, looking up at the black clad figure standing next to her.

"Who?" the fox asked, raising an eyebrow as he quickly collected the rabbit in his paws, to her slight consternation and surprise. "Hang on," he said, as he brought his sword up to the rope while holding the rope above it with his other paw. With a dexterity that impressed even her, he sliced the rope through with a single cut while swinging forward, just as the rope the captain was slicing was finally cut.

The twin slices had the effect of swinging the yardarm the rope was spun through towards the dock, line whipping through the blocks as it spun the pair forward and lower towards the pier. Judy clutched onto the fox tighter as they flew through the air, finding his paw wrapped around her, the wind whipping her ears back as she tucked herself into Zorro's warm embrace. Behind them, a loud boom, followed by a massive cracking sound split the air as Judy felt her and Zorro's paws land on the pier, their momentum causing him to tumble forward, though his grip on Judy didn't lessen as he absorbed the majority of the impact.

Both scrambled to look behind them, where they saw the whole ship shudder before a second crack sounded and a burst of water shot out of the main hatch in the main deck. The ship listed slightly, its moorings groaning as the ropes connecting the ship to its birth began to strain as the ship tilted hard to its port side.

"We have to go," Judy shouted, hearing a line snap near them, the cable whistling through the crates the jaguar was still rolling in like a hot knife through butter. The impact launched the drug hazed mammal into the ocean as the fox and rabbit bolted the end of the wharf.

"Get down!" Judy shouted, jumping up and pulling Zorro to the ground as another line snapped, slicing right through the spot where they had been standing, her quick reaction saving them from being effortlessly sliced in two. Again scrambling to their feet, the made it to the end of the dock as the ship behind them groaned and finished listing, its gun deck nearly completely submerged as the ship gave a finally groan before fully capsizing, its masts splashing down into the water as a frothery mass of bubbles burst from the ship, signaling its demise.

The two mammals sat breathing heavily, staring at the sunken remnants of the ship, several moments passing before either spoke. Finally, the silence was interrupted by a single comment from The Fox.

"Well, that went well."

His comment was accompanied by another gushing of water from the ship as its hull disappeared beneath the waves, flotsam and jetsam as well as the members of its crew bobbing in the water.

Judy's ears swiveled at the sound of footsteps approaching them. A wall of blue uniforms was running towards the dock from Pier 12, Clawhauser surprisingly leading the group as the cheetah even had his sword held above and ahead of him as he ran.

"I think you should go," Judy stated bluntly, looking up at The Fox who watched the approaching group of soldiers racing towards them. "You save my life today. I am in your debt, so consider this my payment that I'm not arresting you now."

"The lady is quite kind," Zorro joked, pushing himself to his feet while dusting off his clothes. "Though I consider it an improvement in our relationship since we are no longer threatening each other."

"Would you like me to insult you, you dumb fox?" Judy asked, the whisper of a smile gracing her lips.

"Ah, there she is! The Capitán we all know and love," The Fox joked. And with a bow and a tip of his hat, he ran off toward the lower docks as he was spotted by the approaching troops.

"There he is, mammals! Capture him!" Clawhauser ordered as a group of soldiers began to chase after him.

"Stop right there!" Judy ordered, her shout carrying across the wind and halting the soldiers in their tracks. "We have mammals in the water who need help. Anyone who can swim needs to be in there helping them while others tend to the wounded on the dock.

"But Capitán, The Fox!" a polar bear stated, pointing towards the quickly disappearing figure.

"Will get away this time," Judy growled, "as we have _lives_ we need to save. Now get into that water and help those mammals!"

Orders were given, along with threats for those too timid to jump into a boat to help the bedraggled mammals floating in the water. The polar bear soldier from before jumped in headfirst, his natural bouyancy acting as a temporary raft to the fox captain and margay who gratefully climbed upon his back, both gasping for breath.

Judy watched the rescue playing out as a crowd gathered along the line of the bay. She spotted a certain margay in the crowd, nodded at Weidii who offered a rare smile back at the bunny.

Though her thoughts mainly centered around the relief effort in front of her, the nagging in her mind wouldn't stop.

She _had_ heard his voice...she was sure of it. Either that or it was an illusion of her ears in the heat of battle that had caused her to hear him shouting her name.

_It can't be him_...she thought, suddenly finding herself conflicted. _Nick is a red fox, Zorro is a black fox. Nick can't even hold a sword and...he's right pawed. Zorro is left pawed._

Doing her best to erase the seeds of doubt on Zorro's identity in her mind, she went back into her work, hoping that the constant stress and barking out of orders would help clear her mind.

Unbeknownst to her, on a nearby ship, another mammal watched the events unfolding with great interest.

_An interesting development I'd say..._

The mammal dropped his spyglass from his eye, passing it along to his cabin boy, a young kudu, who grabbed it with a salute.

"Mister Caldwin."

The kudu stepped forward and saluted. "Yes, Admiral Wilde?"

The fox kept his trained gaze upon the scene several docks over. "I wish for you to deliver a message to Capitán Hopps before the evening is up. Inform her that she has been cordially invited to dinner upon the SS Nighthowler tomorrow eve at 5pm. Understood?"

"Yes, Admiral!" Caldwin stated with another salute, before being waved off by the aging fox, his gaze never leaving the sunken ship, and the small grey rabbit walking up and down the pier.

_A very interesting development indeed..._

* * *

**AN: Many thanks to Selaxes for helping me out with the terminology and layout of 19th century ships. Couldn't have written this without his help so make sure to stop by his stories and read them as they are really, _really_ , good!**

**If you check this story out on DeviantArt as well, you can see the art for this chapter drawn by** **yasminoliveira534 from tumblr, so go check that out and have a great day! :)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Many thanks to Selaxes for helping me out with the terminology and layout of 19th century ships. Couldn't have written this without his help so make sure to stop by his stories and read them as they are really, really, good!
> 
> If you check this story out on DeviantArt as well, you can see the art for this chapter drawn by yasminoliveira534 from tumblr, so go check that out and have a great day! :)


	20. Lair of the Admiral

**Chapter 17 Lair of the Admiral**

**Edited by R3D Fawkes & KungFuFreak07**

The next few hours following the sinking of the smuggling vessel, the name of which Judy had learned was the SS Furtanic, were quite frantic. The already overcrowded cells in the fort meant that they had to escort the prisoners to the city's jail, which was soon filled to capacity as the deputy on paw at the time, a goat by the name of Barney Plife, barely managed to cram the last of the criminals, the margay that Judy had knocked into the ocean, into the cell and closed it with an audible click.

"Well that should hold them in there for a while," Plife stated, clapping his hooves together in satisfaction before the cell door gave an audible groan before bursting open, inmates exploding out of the overly cramped cell like a bursting dam. Judy groaned, then ordered her soldiers to seek new cells for them while she designed arrangements to ship the prisoners to the next closest town's jail.

 _Why are there so many criminals in this city?_ she kept asking herself over and over again as the day went on. First there were the Muchachos Boys, followed by several other minor gangs. Next had come the Bearnstein Bears and Po Gangs, followed swiftly by the arrest and sinking of Rottenbeard's ship, along with most of his drug shipment. If she didn't include her first arrest of the hyena trio, each and every subsequent arrest had come from the help of the masked vigilante, Zorro.

_Why is he helping to clean up the town?_

She wasn't given much time to think about that question before a young kudu in a navy uniform ran up to her, offering a crisp salute and a letter in his hoof.

"Message for Capitán Hopps," he stated, pressing a letter into her paw before abruptly turning and leaving the confused rabbit in his wake.

"This day just gets better and better," she groaned, flicking out a knife and slicing the envelope open. The last traces of any amount of joviality in her day died as she read the contents of the letter.

_Now apparently tomorrow is going to worse..._

* * *

What the letter contained within, was why she was now again standing on the docks the day after the sinking of the Furtanic, though this time staring up at a very different ship.

The SS NightHowler was one of the most impressive naval vessels she had ever seen. Three massive decks, each lined with massive guns that were so large for the lowest level that she probably could have easily lived in one. The ship itself dwarfed most of the other vessels docked or anchored in the harbor beyond. One of the top ships of the line in the Califurnia navy.

 _For obvious reasons…_ she thought as she approached the massive warship. Various mammals laden with gear or supplies were around the ship. Several were lowered down from ropes along its side, brushing down the sides of the ship. Hearing various splashing sounds from below, she looked over the side of the pier and saw several aquatic mammals laden with barnacles popping up and under the waterline, chisels in paw as they removed the creatures from the hull of the ship.

She'd barely realized she'd even reached the first of several gangplanks leading aboard the ship. Staring ahead she could see the largest of which currently held an elephant and rhino, both in officer uniforms, laughing as they ascended into the ship.

"Capitán."

The cold, hard voice echoed down to her from above. Turning she saw the mammal whom had invited her onto the ship in the first place.

"Admiral Wilde," Judy replied, taking off her hat while staring up at the vulpine who was gazing down at her with a steady glare. Ignoring the welling feeling of dread and memories from her first meeting with the steely eyed mammal, she remembered what was taught to her in the academy when being invited upon a navy vessel. "Permission to come aboard?"

Looking down at her for a moment, the fox nodded, before walking out of view of the rabbit. Judy sighed heavily, ascending the medium-sized mammal gangplank and onto the main deck of the ship. As she breached the top and walked aboard, the gaze of several mammals turned towards her, giving her either quick, flitting glances or long, hard stares. She kept walking forward, turning as she noticed the young messenger from the day before offering his hoof to her, which she shook agreeably.

"Capitán Hopps. Admiral Wilde is awaiting you in the Officer's Quarters."

The rabbit nodded, following after the mammal as they ascended to the quarter deck, heading towards a set of doors guarded by two marines. The tigers saluted Judy as she approached, a signal she returned before the kudu led her through the door.

For never having been on a naval vessel before, Judy's thoughts had been plagued by ideas of what might be in store when she visited the ship. Dark, dank rooms with little lights that reeked of unwashed mammals and powder. The visions of the trip had only increased her trepidation at what the Admiral wanted with her,  _especially_ , since the last time they had met he had shown outright disdain for the rabbit.

And with the look he had cast her way from the top of the gangplank, it seemed as if he still maintained that image of her.

Yet what met her gaze was quite the opposite. The room she entered was surprisingly bright, with small windows at either end of the room as well as massive windows covering nearly the entire back wall of the area as well and what areas the light didn't reach were covered by the lanterns which swung lazily back and forth with the swell of the ship as it sat at anchor.

Her gaze travelled around the room as she entered, moving from the sea maps covering the walls to the massive table which took up the majority of the room, each chair towering over her and had intricate carvings of the vessel etched into the backs of them.

"This is an impressive boat," Judy began, the kudu visibly wincing as he heard the last word. Judy groaned inwardly, forbidding herself from wanting to simply turn tail and head back to solid ground. "Ship..." she corrected. "You have a nice ship here."

"I would hope you find it as impressive as our lands enemies have found it."

Sharp, pretentious… and above all else, the voice to which the comment belonged seemed to have a chilling effect upon the room as her fur stood on edge, her ears turning towards the sound moments before she turned to follow them.

Judy addressed the mammal as she turned to face him. "Admiral Wilde."

"Capitán," he replied, nodding slightly. "Mister Caldwin, inform Mister Helmeczi and Mister Grizner that we will be taking dinner in my private quarters."

"Your,  _private_ … quarters?" Judy asked, her nervousness apparent as she had hoped that the dinner would have at least been around other mammals so that she could try to avoid those piercing steel toned eyes that stared down at her.

The fox smirked. "Unless of course you would prefer to dine in one of the seats here reserved for my officers." Admiral Wilde made a point of waving his paw towards the massive table. "As you can see, I don't have any chair befitting such a,  _diminutive_ , mammal."

A scowl formed quickly on Judy's muzzle. Yet before she could offer a retort with anything other than a glare, the Admiral turned and sauntered towards a stairwell off in a corner of the room, disappearing with a swish of his tail.

 _Diminutive my tail_ … Judy thought with an internal growl as she followed after the fox as the only other mammal in the room, or who  _had_  been in the room, the kudu, Mister Caldwin apparently, had already left. The rabbit followed after the fox, noting that the stairwell was actually scaled to size for medium-sized mammals. She paused at the top of the stairs, wondering why a vessel that should serve all sizes of mammals equally had a place where only a few could enter.

Shaking her head of the thoughts, she quickly descended the stairs, the silence only broken by the splash of the waves against the hull or the creaking of the ship on the waves. Stepping out into the room below, she marveled again at the sight of a room that was even more impressive than the one above it.

"Before you ask..." Judy jumped slightly, her paw instinctively reaching for her sword as she turned towards the Admiral, who was busy admiring his claws before turning his gaze towards the bunny. "...that stairwell is one of many I have had built into the ship to allow for quicker access of my person to wherever I'm needed without having to climb such mammoth steps that are more befitting a rhino than a fox."

Judy blinked rapidly. "How did you know I was..."

"Thinking about that?" he casually interrupted as if the conversation bored him. "I didn't, until now when you just told me."

For as many times in the past two minutes Judy found herself again scowling. "So,  _Admiral_ , what is it that you want to meet with me about. You obviously hold a severe amount of disdain for me, so we could quit with the  _pleasantries_  entirely. We can go our separate ways and  _I_  can be relieved of  _your_  presence on this... _boat._ "

The scowl appearing on the fox's muzzle was enough to shift her own to a grin. A silence more befitting a tomb than a ship hung between the two until a knock at the door broke the stillness.

"Enter," Wilde stated as he walked towards a nearby table, seating himself as the doors opened and a wolf entered, followed closely by a young bear. Judy followed the fox's example, taking a seat opposing the other mammal as plates of food were deposited in front of both of them. "Thank you Mister Helmeczi. Mister Grizner."

The lids were lifted from the plates, the bear smiling down at Judy as the smells of the dish quickly filled the room. Judy breathed in deeply, relishing in just how fresh the dish smelled, even before she gazed upon it.

"Ah, it appears as if you outdid yourself again," the admiral stated, nodding to the wolf who offered a grin in return.

"With being at port, I've had the ability to accommodate the ships stores with the freshest of ingredients," the wolf began. "There are some fine spices that can be found among the bazaars of this fair city."

"Indeed," Wilde commented as Judy finally looked down at her food. A supple dish of stewed vegetables greeted her, alongside a fresh salad with freshly diced carrots seasoned with some sort of exotic spice she  _knew_  that she knew, but couldn't place it.

"I take it you're enjoying the caramelized carrots, Capitán?" the wolf asked, staring at the rabbit with a grin as she returned his smile.

"I've never seen such a dish before," she replied. "How did you make it and what spices did you procure to design such a beautiful dish?"

It was as if the wolf's grin couldn't get any larger, as his tail began to wag behind him at the compliment. "Thank you Capitán. It's a secret family recipe, though I can allow you to know that Zootopia has a few hidden stores that supply the best cinnamon and nutmeg this side of the Beast Indies."

"This smells heavenly," Judy stated as the wolf bowed.

"That will be all, Mister Helmeczi," the fox stated with a wave of his paw as the young bear poured a glass of wine for both fox and rabbit. "And thank you Mister Grizner."

The bear nodded before retreating alongside the wolf outside the larger doors to the room, though Judy could only hear one set of footpads disappearing past the door.

"Now that we are all set," the vulpine stated, the niceties he had displayed to his crew disappearing as quickly as the rays of the winter sun. "Let's get on to business, shall we?"

* * *

"How about this Finnick?"

Nick walked out from behind the divider, arms raised and a grin on his face. The small fox grimaced, swatting his paw in the air at the other fox's outfit. Nick dropped his arms with a huff before placing them on his hips. "Come now, Big Guy, why is this one not good for asking Judy to the ball?"

Finnick slapped a paw over his eyes, then swiped a quick 'z' with his paw in the air before pointing at the  _entirely_  black outfit.

"You think it would make her think I'm Zorro, eh?" Nick sighed, dropping his paws completely. "Not that she probably doesn't know already," he added quietly to himself.

Or at least he  _thought_  it was to himself, soon finding out otherwise when he felt the blunt impact into the back of his ankle, causing him to hop around on one foot until the other paw was smacked, sending him tumbling to the floor. Still rubbing his first foot, he grimaced as Finnick calmly walked onto his chest, grabbed his collar and glared at him.

"Eheh, I didn't think you would have heard me," Nick sheepishly replied. Finnick looked as if he would have growled if he could before pointing at his ears with one paw, not loosening his grip on Nick's collar in the slightest.

"Alright, alright, I understand. You hear almost as well as a rabbit," Nick laughed, waving his paws in front of him as the desert fox let go of his collar and folded his arms across his chest, a smirk forming on his muzzle.

"What are you planning, my tiny friend?" Nick asked, eyes narrowing as he pushed himself upon his elbows, throwing the fennec fox off balance and rolling him backwards onto the floor. Finnick pushed himself up, dusting off his jacket and pants before grinning towards Don Wilde while raising his paws behind his head in the shape of ears while making a kissing face.

Nick's eyes widened in shock at what his friend was suggesting, instantly realizing  _what_  he was pantomiming.

_Well, two can play at that game..._

Nick gave the smaller fox a lazy grin and a single raised eyebrow. "Why Finnick, I had no idea you were into antelopes like that. Are you finally going to ask out Maria Lopez out?" The red fox couldn't help but cackle with laughter as his friends mouth dropped open while his paws were still behind his head.

"I knew it!"Nick continued, feeling the tides turning in his favor. "So, if you'd like any hints on how to ask her out, I recently overheard her talking with Tonto Mamífero about what her favorite flower-ouch!"

Nick yelped as a cork bounced right off his nose, causing it to twitch as his eyes shot open and ears flew up. "What was that for, mi amigo? I was trying to help out your cause."

Finnick stomped his foot, pointing at Nick before he began hopping around the room. After several hops, he turned and glared at his friend. Several complicated hand gestures followed, after which Nick's shoulders slumped as he sat fully upright, staring at the floor.

"You're right Fin, I should be more careful around Capitán Hopps, though like I said earlier, I think she already knows about my side profession."

Watching as the fennec fox made several more quick gestures, Nick pushed himself off the ground, keeping his eyes trained on the other fox's hand movements.

"I think you're right, though we still have to be careful. I think she may know already, but, she seems more like Capitán Skye than any of the others so maybe she might be more understanding than..."

His response was interrupted when the smaller fox made several hasty gestures.

"I suppose that could work," Nick murmured, placing a paw to his chin as he watched Finnick signing once more. "Yes… yes..." His smile grew as the desert fox finished with a grin.

"Finnick, you are a genius!" Said fox nodded his head in agreement before folding his arms in triumph in front of him as Nick began pacing. "I think I have just the idea on how to make this work to our advantage, though I will have to see if Gideon is up for it."

He turned and looked down to see Finnick giving him a, ' _really?'_  stare.

"Don't look at me like that," Nick chided. "He's the only other fox my size and if he's far enough away then nobody will notice Zorro appears to have been binging on empanadas and pies."

Finnick smacked his head, shaking it back and forth before walking off. Nick watched him leave, sighing heavily as he walked towards his study's window, pushing back the curtains and staring outside.

From the small rise his manor sat upon, he could view for miles upon miles in directions, though the view from this window was his favorite. From it, he could see the entirety of Zootopia several miles off, all the way from Fort Zootopia on its Northern borders, to his father's ship sitting at anchor at the furthest western point of the city. He sighed heavily, his mind going back to a very familiar grey rabbit that had been taking up more and more of his thoughts as the days he spent with her passed by.

"I will tell you Judy," he stated to nobody but himself, as if the comment would appease his conscience. "Someday, I will tell you my secret and I hope… I hope when that day comes, you will not hate me for it."

* * *

Judy walked towards the gangplank, Admiral Wilde following closely behind her.

"I trust you'll keep our conversation between us, private, no?" he stated. The icy tone of his statement made it clear what he was expecting as an answer. Judy turned to face him, staring up at the older mammal with a heat in her eyes she hoped would overcome the icy look he had cast down at her.

"You can expect what you'd like, Admiral,  _however,_  I will not put your own personal agenda over the safety of Zootopia and its citizens."

The vulpine held his arms clasped behind his back, his near perpetual scowl showing the barest hint of any emotion besides anger and resentment. "Then I'll just have to remind you,  _Capitán_ , the stakes of the game of which we are playing."

 _How can I forget_ … Judy grumbled internally, not allowing her own gaze to flicker away for a moment from his own. The fox's warnings and demands during their dinner had added a whole new level of worry.  _And what a dangerous gamble all of this is..._

She hated it. Absolutely loathed the idea of what he had told and demanded of her. It went against all of her training she had gone through and yet, she could see  _why_  the Admiral was so insistent with her. Did it anger her? Yes, absolutely. Did she have to follow it..?

When she finally found her voice again, she found it to be a bit stronger than she thought it would have been.

"And may I remind you," she began, her voice strengthening with every word, "that the citizens of this city are not pieces on a board in which you can fiddle and toy with. If I catch wind of anything…  _anything,_ that you have done that would endanger them, or this city, or your own  _son_ , from your cause..." she marched straight up to the Admiral, and even though he was nearly double her height, she casually stared him down, fire in her eyes and in her belly as she rested a paw upon her sword.

"...I will make sure you will hang from the yardarm of your own ship for all of Califurnia to see."

The threat hung in the air between them, spreading out so that even the sailors aboard the vessel turned to see their admiral in an intense stare down with the doe.

She was slightly surprised when he greeted her threat with a smile. "Then we are in agreement," he stated bluntly, and for the first time in the entire evening, she saw a bit of the coldness in his gaze melt away and show… affection? Endearment? Judy couldn't tell as she was startled by him putting his paw out for her to shake. "I would expect no less from you Capitán. Just remember my advice… and my warning."

Judy looked at his proffered paw, then back up into his eyes before reaching out her own, gripping his tightly.

"Deal."

"Splendid," the vulpine replied as he took a step back and bowed to her. "Now, I have pressing matters to attend to," he stated as he raised back up to his full height, the glare from earlier returning in full force, "...so I'd appreciate it if you would get off my ship."


	21. To Catch a Fox...

 

Nick walked to the front gates of Fort Zootopia, a bouquet of flowers held in anxious paws as he saluted the guards at the front gates. Both the cheetah and the sand cat grinned when they saw the flowers, a mix of blue lupine, orange day-lilies and striking violet tulips in the fox's paw, offering nods of recognition as he walked past them.

"I think he's just here to offer that as a gift...as a friend," the female cheetah stated glumly after the fox had passed by her.

"Oh, señorita Jackie," the sand cat replied, chuckling as he watched the fox enter the fort. "Have you forgotten that it is I who wagered that he would be asking the Capitán out on a date, while it is you who said they would just be friends? No?"

The cheetah glowered at the smaller mammal as she crossed her arms, switching her gaze from her fellow soldier to the swishing tail of the red-furred mammal. "A girl can hope, can't she?"

A bellowing laugh came from the smaller mammal. "Oh Jackie, Jackie, Jackie… let me tell you something about the cruelties of love…"

The cheetah's eyes widened as the sand cat reached for a nearby guitar. "Don't you dare start..."

_"I have a friend, who fell in love!"_ the sand cat began crooning while strumming his guitar. " _With a fox, from high above!_ "

" _His swishing tail, his handsome eyes!"_

_"All these combined, she thought sublime!"_

"No..." Jackie drawled, dragging her paws down her face before slumping against the walls of the fort. "No… no… no..."

Said fox who was the subject of the song laughed to himself as the verses of the melody continued well into a third verse behind him as he knocked a pattern upon a door that was becoming very familiar to him. The shout that came from the open window above brought a smile to his lips.

"Come in."

"I'll be happy to," Nick spoke to nobody but himself as he removed his bolero and stepped inside. Looking over himself once more, making sure that his clothes were impeccable, he started for the stairs. He had followed Finnick's advice, and at the smaller desert fox's behest, had worn the matching blue pants and matching jacket with gold trim he had worn for their first dinner together. It had taken him two days since he had helped her take down the smuggler's vessel to gather enough courage to  _officially_  ask Capitan Hopps out on a da...dat...

_Nope...still can't say it..._

He stopped at the top of the stairs, still barely believing what he was doing.

_You can do this Nick. It isn't like she's coming back. It's been almost a year since she disappeared… you...you can't pine after her memory forever._

The memory of that day… and of the following weeks of him standing outside the gates of Fort Zootopia from sunup to sundown, waiting for the one mammal he hoped to see the most come running towards him, came flooding back to him in a wave of emotions and trepidation.

"Nine months, eight days, Skye…" Nick muttered as he gripped the worn wooden banister and took the first step up the stairs. "I know you'd understand…"

The fox picked up his pace again, walking towards the door, albeit a little more morose than a few minutes prior, despite the otherwise pleasant circumstances he was hoping the day would bring. Only hope that Judy hadn't heard him break form on the ship during their battle kept him moving forward instead of fleeing for his hacienda.

_Maybe there is hope she hadn't heard me utter her name on the ship? She hasn't arrested me yet, so maybe?,_  he wondered as he began ascending the staircase towards Capitán Hopps' study.

_Or maybe she actually isn't a rabbit but a deaf armadillo in disguise…_ the more sarcastic side of his brain told him. He waved that thought off as he reached her door, letting out a soft exhale of air while debating within himself if he would want to simply enter or knock first, as any gentlemammal would do.  _Does she know me well enough for me to come in? She did say come in...but I should really knock on a ladies door before..._

His answer came in the form of a chuckle from within.

"Nick, I heard your sigh, and if you don't come in, then I'll have my soldiers confiscate all your blueberry stores and give them to Sergeant Clawhauser to eat."

The door burst open and a surprised and slightly worried fox entered. "You wouldn't do such a thing to a poor animal as myself, would you?" Nick asked, frantic in his response, his breathing coming heavy until he heard the soft laughter coming from his friend. Seeing the sparkle in his companion's eyes, Nick allowed a sly smirk to appear on his own muzzle. "I will gladly fight you and all your soldiers to keep you from taking my blueberries!" he exclaimed, grabbing a small, rabbit sized unbrella from the nearby stand, swinging it back and forth through the air in front of him in disheveled moves until the umbrella bounced off the wall and konked the vulpine in his muzzle.

"Of course I wouldn't," the bunny replied, smiling at her friend as she walked over to greet him, pulling back his paw from his nose to make sure he was alright. The slight touch sent a jolt of electricity through him and he quickly waved off her consideration, though nearly smacking her with the held umbrella in the process. Thankfully she ducked as it swung over her head with the wave of his paw, then moved back to the bin it came from as Judy took it from Nick's grasp. "Though if my best friend in Zootopia goes another day without seeing me I might have to send a search party out looking for him  _or_  do good on that threat," she added with a wink as Nick smiled back at her. Gently taking her paw, he placed a kiss upon it as he smiled.

"Well, would you perhaps be leading that group to find me?"

"Everyday," Judy whispered, eyes glimmering as she said such a simple word that made such a profound impact upon Nick's mind. His breath caught in his throat momentarily as he tried to keep his calm demeanor from breaking as the desire to suddenly kiss more than just Judy's paw flashed through his mind.

Judy stared at him for several moments as he remained stoic before her, before raising an eyebrow. "Nick, are you alright?"

Shaking himself from his stupor, he nodded as he trademark grin reappeared. "Absolutely, one hundred percent, señorita."

"Good!" Judy chirped, before bouncing back towards her desk. "What would my charming fox like to do today? Visit Weidii? Walk the pier..." Judy turned and gave him a smirk. " _Sink a ship..._ "

Nick casually strolled over to the chair, at least as casually as he could for his legs almost giving out at her last statement. The way she stated it left no room for it being a question. "Well, for starters," he mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck.  _Remember what you're here for!_  "I've heard that… there's a...a..."

His voice trailed off as he took in what was hanging above Judy's desk, a large map of Zootopia and its surrounding districts, though that wasn't what surprised him the most.

"What is this, Capitán?" he asked, gulping as he saw metal pins dotting the map, red pieces of paper attached to some, green to others and yellow on the vast majority. Drawings and wanted posters of various mammals dotted the perimeter of the map in its entirety, while the space at the top was reserved for the most notable picture of them all...

...a picture of The Fox.

"I don't know," she began, standing on her chair as she placed her paws on the table before she turned her gaze upon him. "You tell me."

Nick chuckled, trying to hide his nervousness. "Maybe a board of the those who need capturing? Like a… a… " he rolled his paw as he pondered a moment, more to help him figure out a way out of his current predicament that  _wouldn't_  involve pawcuffs, before his ears stood up. "like...a most wanted board?"

Judy hummed in response. "I like it." Turning back to the board, she offered a soft smile. "Capitán Hopps' Most Wanted Board."

"It has a certain ring to it," Nick replied as he studied the board more closely, especially a set of three drawings in a top corner of the map after seeing several others that he recognized. "Though aren't some of these mammals already arrested?" he questioned. "As I see the Muchachos Boys Gang's poster up there."

A nod from Judy. "Yes, these are all the mammals that have been arrested since I arrived, as well as a few others I am trying to track down. If you notice the captured ones have red marks on them, while those still evading capture remain unmarked."

"Hmm," Nick drawled. "I'm guessing the red pins are places you've captured the wanted thieves and brigands?" At a nod from the rabbit, he continued. "And the pins? Do they match up with...um..." he again waved his paw, before having it drum against the aged wooden table, his claws clacking against it. "Hold on...I know this...Oh! red with red, green with free?"

Judy smiled as her eyelids drooped slightly. "Almost there, Slick Nick." Judy chuckled. "The red are indeed locations where they've been captured,  _with_ , the help of Zorro. However, the green pins are locations where  _The Fox_  has been seen."

Nick involuntarily gulped, realizing that it might have been a huge mistake on his part to come here today.  _You knew she knew...you're going to end up in chains and left in a prison to rot, never finding out what happened to Skye, Nick! Do you think anyone else will care enough to figure out what happened to her?_

"Oh..." Nick squeaked as he saw just how many green pins dotted the map.  _How did she gather all this information in just two days?_

"Did you know..." Judy continued, as Nick's gaze was stuck upon the map, "that  _ninety percent_  of all sightings of Zorro are within seven miles of your property?" She waved at the board, a smile on her face as he nervously shuffled backwards.

"I think I need to invest more in security mammals if he is appearing so often and so frequently near my humble abode," Nick stammered as his eyes again drew themselves across the map. "Maybe a few rhinos? Some jaguars? Maybe a certain bunny?"

"A bunny? Who are you thinking of?"

"Gah!" Nick jumped back in start when Judy whispered in his ear, the rabbit snickering at his reaction.  _He is so jumpy today_...she thought.  _And for good reason,_  the other side of her mind told her.  _You're basically accusing him of being the most wanted criminal in Califurnia when he brought flowers..._ Judy's eyes wandered upon the bouquet in Nick's paw that was clutched over his heart.  _Oh..._

He placed his paw over his heart, breathing heavily. "Carrots! You almost caused my heart to fail!"

"My, is Nicholas de la Wilde afraid of sudden sounds?"

"Who isn't?" he said, continuing his panting, before looking down at the flowers in his paw. Offering a tepid laugh, he tried to hide them behind his back with a nervous smile.

Judy casually jumped off the chair and strolled up to him, paws behind her back. "I don't know… Zorro maybe?" As she reached him, she leaned around him. "Are those for me?"

"Well, Zorro I am not," Nick replied hastily, mind spinning to come up with some sort of witty statement. "And I uh...brought these for…"

"Yes…" Judy hummed, looking up at him. He continued to nervously look down at her.  _How can she do this to me so easily…_ he wondered as he stared into her eyes, becoming more entranced by the second by her gaze.  _Maybe because she's on to you? Maybe because those violet eyes are so bewitching? Maybe because you just want to lean right in and..._

He was finally brought out of it when he found her paw waving in front of his face. "Nick? Don Wilde…? Are you there?"

Blinking rapidly, he shook himself awake, still a bit surprised with everything happening so rapidly around him and in such a state of confusion said the first thing that came to his mind."Sorry Capitán, I looked into your eyes to answer your questions and I couldn't leave them."

Nick heard a slight intake of breath come from the rabbit as her ears shot completely straight up, her paw covering her mouth as the insides of her ears began turning red. "Oh…!"

For a nervous moment, both mammals stood facing each other, the amount of tension and awkwardness soaring to astronomical heights between them. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, Nick began chuckling. The sound shattered the tension like a cannonball, causing Judy to join in with her own laughter, increasing in volume and tempo along with the vulpine's own until both were laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry," Nick finally managed to say, leaning on the Capitán's chair to catch his breath. "That must have sounded quite cheesy, no? I mean… your eyes are beautiful and your fur quite breathtaking in the afternoon light and…" his voice slowed to a soft muttering sound before he again nervously chuckled and extended his paw with the bouquet in them. "And yes...these are for you. Chosen to match your brilliance in every way. The lupine to match your uniform, showing your indomitable spirit. Day-lilies for your smile, which shines as brightly as the sun and violets, to match the exquisiteness of your eyes and are beautiful to behold."

"Thank you," Judy replied, feeling her heart melting at the vulpine's words. Accepting the offered bouquet, she sniffed it, feelings of home coming soaring back into her mind as memories of her youth came flooding in. "These are beautiful, Nicholas."

"Like yourself," he added.

Judy felt her ears beginning to burn at the onrush of compliments, and let them fall to her back, rubbing the tip of one with her free paw… a tick she always did when she felt nervous around a mammal she liked…

Eyes widened as she abruptly stopped the motion.  _In front of mammals I like...no...no, no, no, NO!_  Dropping the bouquet upon her desk, the bunny ran over to the open window, taking in deep breaths of the outside air to replace the scents that currently filled the room.

_Judy, you are not allowed to fall for Nick. Not with what Admiral Wilde wants you to do… not with what you have to do to Zorro. You can't fall in love...can't, can't, can't, CAN'T!_

A paw on her shoulder shattered her illusions of pushing Nick from her mind.

"Judy, are you alright?"

"Yes!" Judy twirled around immediately, yelling out her answer, feeling instantly sorry as Nick stepped back from her, raising his paws in front of him. "No! I mean yes! I'm good! I'm great! Everything's great!" As if to exaggerate her already odd performance, she grinned toothily, keeping the smile for far too long as the fox stared at her.

"You know, I think maybe I should just go out and come back in," Nick supplied slowly, taking a step back.

Her paw shot out, grabbing his own faster than her mind could tell her body to stop.

" _Don't go!"_

She watched as Nick's tail froze in place, his eyes turning down to see her paw over his own. Abruptly she pulled it away, again going back to playing with her ears. "I"m sorry, Don Wilde… for today. I don't know what is wrong with me…and...I'm just sorry about everything so far..."

_That's a total lie and you know it, Judy…_ her inner voice told her, and she could almost imagine a tiny version of herself silently judging her from inside her mind.

_Oh hush you!_  she replied.  _It isn't like he won't realize what you are doing with your interrogating him and all._

_Shush!_  she repeated again, shaking her head.  _I can do this… He isn't Zorro. He can't be Zorro...not with what you're feeling…_

All thought was cut off when she felt two paws placed upon her cheeks. The heat that had slowly begun dying down instantly raged back into an inferno as her gaze shot towards the fox, who had a sad smile upon his muzzle that melted any desire of her to continue what she had been planning on doing to him when he had arrived.

"Capitána Judy Hopps," he began, eyes never wavering from her own. "When was the last time you took a break from making Zootopia a better place?"

Her breath caught in her throat at the close proximity her friend currently had to her. "I… I don't know..."

"And how long have you been in here, doing all this?" He waved his paw towards the map. Judy's heart plummeted in her chest as she began questioning herself all over again.

He heard her mumble something quietly. "Could you repeat that, please?"

"Since I've arrived...fourteen days ago…" she murmured again, still looking into the emerald eyes of her friend. The warmth inside them was mesmerizing and his touch so welcoming. Her paws went to cover his own, "I can handle it though. General Bogo has required it of me to clean the city and catch The Fox… and… and I need to do that...and I can't..which would happen if I'm not working then I'll be dismissed and…"

The fox's paw moved quickly, a single clawed finger placed upon her lips. "Judy, did you sleep at all last night, or the night before?"

Stuck within his eyes, and not daring to look away. She couldn't lie to such a friend as he. "A little…?" she squeaked.

"I think your desk has seen your head more than your pillow," the fox lamented, their gaze still connected and she could have sworn he was growing closer with every second he knelt in front of her. "So I propose something fun between the two of us. A time where you could relax and unwind… where you have to worry about your work and that dastardly Zorro, as well as your offending boss, about as much as a tortoise worries about a sunburn."

His comment brought a slight chuckle from the rabbit as Nick's own smile grew. "Does that sound good to you, my bonita bunny?"

"It does," Judy replied, rubbing his right paw with her own, her fingers lazily tracing through his fur. "But only if I spent it with you."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, eyes brightening instantly. "Then today we will go and enjoy one another's company. Though that isn't the real reason why I came today. You see...I will be hosting a ball in no less than a week. The finest party that Zootopia has ever seen and..." his voice caught in his throat as he nervously removed a paw from Judy's cheek to pull at his collar. "...and I want you to come with me to it."

Judy felt as if her heart had stopped.

_Was Don Nicholas de la Wilde… one of the most powerful mammals in the country… asking her out…on a, date?_

"Is this a date?" she blurted out without thinking.

"Is that a problem?" Nick replied, suddenly very nervous as his ears shot up and tail swished anxiously behind him. "I mean, we could always go separat-"

"I'd love to go with you to the ball!" Judy interrupted, eyes shining in both surprise and joy. Surprising the fox with her next move, she jumped forward into his arms, the flummoxed fox's eyes going wide as she hugged him. Within a few moments he had recovered enough to move his paws around to Judy's back, patting it gently.

"I guess I can take that as a 'yes' then?"

Taking a step back, while taking Nick's paws in her own, she nodded. "Absolutely, one hundred percent."

Heavy thumping coming from the hallway broke the perfect moment while the sound of drums starting up rather close by, came from outside.

"Capitán Hopps! Capitán Hopps!"

The thumping and yelling came closer as both fox and rabbit turned to see the door open and a flustered Sergeant Clawhauser appear, gasping for breath.

"Capitan Hopps! You have to…"

His words died in his throat as all sound in the room vanished.

"Sergeant, what is it?" Judy asked.

The cheetah's right arm raised, pointing at the pair as a grin split his muzzle. " _Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!_ "

Confused, both fox and rabbit turned their gazes from the cheetah to each other, both realizing at almost the same time what the ear splitting cry from the cheetah was about.

Nick was down on one knee… in front of Judy...their paws clasped together. Muzzles mere  _inches_  apart...

_Oh…_

_OH..._

_OH!_

Both mammals broke apart, Nick suddenly finding a nearby corner remarkably interesting while Judy tried to form some sort of sentence, though failing miserably as she only spluttered out a quick, "It's not what you think."

"I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone…" the cheetah grinned, grabbing at the door handle.

"Sergeant Benjamin Garcia Clawhauser!" Judy yelled, halting the cheetah in his tracks. "What was it you wanted to speak with me about?"

A dawning realization hit the cheetah square in the face. "Oh, oh, oh… right. A messenger just came for you. Though they are kind of late since they arrived with the purpose of their message."

Judy's eyebrow arched as the drums from outside grew louder. Walking to the window, she was followed by Nick, both arriving at the same time to see a drummer mammal, who looked like a torch key raccoon judging from his tail and distinct eye mask, in a spotless uniform march into the parade grounds, followed by a carriage being pedaled by two large tigers while another two sat on the back of the vehicle. Twin lines of soldiers marched behind the carriage until it stopped in the center of the parade gronds. The raccoon finished his cadence with an impressive twirl of his drumsticks, turning with a crisp salute towards the nearest flag as a tiger gracefully slid off the back of the vehicle. Opening the door, the large feline bowed deeply as a single white hoof took his larger paw.

Nick's blood ran cold…  _No..No, no, no, no! She can't be here… Not now...not her._  The fox turned to the rabbit, ignoring all the alarm bells currently raging in his mind as he wrapped his arm around the bunny, startling her slightly as he drew her in close, wrapping his tail around her. His sudden drive to protect her over-riding all other instincts in that moment as the mammal whose hoof he saw revealed herself fully in the sunlight.

An immaculately pressed grey dress...

Large, earth toned, horned glasses...

Dull green eyes..

And a single, blue flower, pinned to her dress just below her shoulder.

"It's Magistrate Bellwether, Capitán," Clawhauser gulped. "She has arrived."

 


	22. For Whom the Bellwether Tolls

 

"Is there another way out of this building?" Nick asked suddenly, taking several steps back from the window, fur bristling and tail standing straight out behind him.

Judy turned to her friend, "What do you mean… Nick?" She looked in confusion as Nick scooted further back into the room, his fur standing on edge and his expression a mix of confusion, anger and fear. "Are you ok?"

" _Oh, Capitán Hopps!_ " a cheery voice called from downstairs, followed by a loud giggling sound. " _Are you home?"_

Judy started for the door, giving her companion a worried glance as she passed him… or  _would_  have passed him if not for his outstretched paw stopping her in her tracks. Finding herself in a sudden state of confusion, the worried face of Nick looking down at her didn't help the situation at all.

_Why is he so… afraid of her?_

The fox looked down at her, as if he was studying her. "Be careful, Judy," Nick finally stated. "That ewe is not what she seems."

Judy slowly nodded, "Thank you Nick, though I need to meet the Magistrate now, so..."

"Oh, right..." Nick muttered, drawing his paw back to scratch at the back of his head. "I'll just… try and slip out when she isn't looking."

Together, the two descended the stairs, Judy making it to the door just as it banged open, a long dark shadow stepping into the room.

"Why, this place hasn't changed in the least," the visitor giggled, adjusting her glasses. "Same  _musty_  air, same  _drab_  colors..." Walking further into the room, and right past the confused bunny, the ewe swiped her hoof across a desk, grimacing at the line of dust that came off with it. "Same dust bunnies even."

"Magistrate Bellwether, I presume?" Judy finally responded, giving the ewe a crisp salute. "Welcome to Fort Zootopia. We would have prepared for your arrival but had not expected you so soon."

The sheep turned, a huge grin on her face. "Oh, aren't you the tiniest Capitán I have ever seen! So small I could have one of my tigers crush you into gory bits."

"Eheh..." Judy stared in puzzlement at the rather morbid comment, her salute falling to her side. Choosing to ignore the comment, Judy extended her paw, hoping maybe the ewe would recognize that friendly gesture at least.

The ewe walked right past her, jumping onto a cushy chair in a corner. "I hope you haven't been enjoying the Capitán's quarters too much, Dust-Bunny," she began, staring at the rabbit. "As this is my room now. Please make sure you clean out your personal effects from the upstairs room before my tigers bring in my own supplies."

"Ma'am..?"

_What is this sheep's problem?_  Judy wondered, before looking around the room to see where Nick was, spotting the fox sneaking around the far wall, almost to the door when an uncharacteristic growl came from the chair opposite both the fox and rabbit.

"Oh, I see the pelt is still here. Guess he must always stalk after the female Capitán's here. Must be in his nature."

"Magistrate Bellwether, that is completely uncalled for and-" Judy began, only to be waved off by the ewe.

"Oh, can it Dust Bunny. Dismiss the trash so we can discuss business."

Internally fuming now, Judy was about to speak her mind, when Nick interrupted her thoughts. "No need to get yourself into trouble, Capitán Hopps," the fox began. "I'll just be going."

"Good decision, Trash," Bellwether giggled, waving her paw as if dismissing the fox. "And thank you for reminding Dust Bunny here of her place in society, hehe." The door opened again, allowing the fox to sneak out as a tiger bringing in several large suitcases came through the door. The ewe clapped her paws and giggled. "Oh, looks like you failed your first mission, Dusty." Motioning her hoof towards the stairs, the tiger nodded, frowning as he passed by the small sheep before trudging up the stairs.

"Make sure you toss the bunnies stuff out the window when you get up there," Bellwether shouted at the tiger as another feline walked through the door, carrying several more suitcases.

Judy's eyes widened in alarm, before she sprinted up the stairs after the tiger.

* * *

_That stupid sheep!_  Judy growled internally as she picked up her scattered belongings from the outside of her former office and home. Picking up one of her spare uniform tops, she dusted it off, frowning as she saw a brown smudge on the lapel where it had landed in some mud.  _No wonder why Nick was so nervous around her with how she treated him._

As her paw reached for one of her pairs of breeches, another paw accidentally touched her own. Startled, she looked up to the see the torch key raccoon from earlier stepping backwards.

"Sorry," he muttered, scratching at the back of his head. "Thought you might like some help cleaning up after..."

"It's alright," Judy calmed, grabbing the pants, folding, then putting them into her rucksack. "I don't have much but any help would be appreciated. By the way, I don't think we've been properly introduced. Capitán Hopps."

"Private Max Thrash," the raccoon supplied, shaking the bunny's paw. "How long have you been commanding this post, Capitán Hopps?"

"Two weeks," the rabbit stated with a huff. "Though it looks as though now it will be in name only."

"Sorry about the Magistrate, she's a bit of a jerk."

Judy eyed him curiously, making the raccoon laughed nervously. "What, we all think that of her, besides her four bodyguards. She treats everyone like scums, especially foxes."

Judy's curiosity was now peaked. "Why, 'especially foxes'?"

"Don't know the reason," the private replied as he helped pick up a few loose shirts, passing them along to the bunny as a second soldier came and began to help gather her belongings from the dirt. "She just hates them, which is probably why Don Wilde was leaving in such a hurry."

"You know Nick?" Judy blurted. "I mean, you know Don Wilde?"

The raccoon smirked. "Oh, so you're on a first name basis with him already?" He waggled his eyebrows as the bunny blushed.

" _Private..._ " she warned, just the barest whisper of a fond smile grazing at her lips.

"Alright, alright," he laughed, putting his paws in the air. "I know when to assume silence is better than conversation."

Both mammals had a good laugh at that as they, and now several other soldiers, had come to clean up the last bits articles of Judy's clothing, none of them even offering a snicker at how red Corporal Wolford turned when he accidentally picked up her underwear. Judy was grateful for the respect they were showing her, especially with how callous their recent guest was.

It made her heart well with pride for her soldiers when she heard them walking away, muttering curses about how the ewe had treated  _their_  Capitána. If she could, and if it were proper, she would have hugged all of them in that moment, though as she couldn't she made a mental note instead to have the galley cook break out extra rations that night or give him some money to buy an extra large cake in town.

Hopefully it would make it past Clawhauser this time.

"Ugh, now where did that Dust Bunny hop off to?"

Judy rolled her eyes, putting on the most forced cheerful smile as she turned around to see the mammal she was quickly growing to despise.

"Oh, there you went!" Bellwether giggled, clapping her hooves together. "Now, if you would be so kind as to fetch me some tea. Not that poor substitute you have in the galley, but some nice tea from in town… Porkshire Gold, if they have any."

Judy's eyes widened. "I don't have enough to buy that...!"

"Oh, ho… but of course you can," Bellwether giggled. "I'm sure that there are a few male bunnies that could use your, ahem,  _services,_  that would give you enough funds to buy it for me. Now shoo, I want my tea and I want it yesterday."

Mouth agape, Judy's mind didn't register anything after the insinuation that the ewe had made about her.  _She wants me to sell..._  Judy growled as her foot began thumping against the ground so quickly it became a blur.  _If she thinks for one moment that I'm going to do something like that..._

Furious couldn't begin to describe her mood as Judy stormed out of the fort, heading into town while inventing all sorts of devious things to do to that sheep's tea.  _Could always get a panda to poop in it…_ she thought darkly.  _Some seem to like that..._ *

As she stormed out, she didn't even notice the pair of green eyes watching her, nor saw the red furred paw reaching out to grab her shoulder.

" Capitán Hopps?" a voice called out as Judy grabbed the paw on her shoulder and twirled it around as she herself turned, flipping over the mammal who had grabbed her. In an instant her rage was replaced by worry as the elegantly dressed fox groaned.

"Remind me call out to you next time..." Don Wilde weakly chuckled. "That was a, how do you say it, amazing move?"

Judy couldn't help but tease her friend as she offered him a paw up. "Yes, that is how you say 'amazing', so you aced that, Slick."

"Flipped into that one..." the fox laughed as he dusted himself off, a slight blush creeping into his ears as Judy began brushing off his chest, her paw's movement growing slower with each sweep until she held it against his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat through their touch.

Noticing what she was doing, she pulled the paw back, laughing nervously as the fox also took on a nervous expression. "So..." he began, "how did the meeting go with that  _ewe-tiful_  specimen of hatred and evil enclosed in the most fluffy of mammals?"

The rabbit groaned. "She wants me to get her some Porkshire Gold tea… and keeps calling me Dusty Bunny." she ground her teeth as the anger from earlier flooded back into her mind and body, her paws clenching tightly at her sides.

"Oh..." Nick frowned. "I do know a place that sells it, but it is muy expensive."

"I know..." Judy huffed.

"And it is out of season, so even more so now..."

"I know," Judy growled.

"And that..."

"I know!" the bunny shouted, pulling at her ears. "I have to do it or else I'll lose my job. Not that it means much anyway with her around." Judy stomped her foot in anger. All her work to get to where she was and she could lose it all over a puny bag of leaves.

"Leave this to me," Nick chimed, breaking the haze of red Judy was glaring through. "And I think I know a very special ingredient that we can add to it that she'll never suspect." The fox's eyes twinkled mischievously and for once, Judy smiled at the look.

"Please…  _do tell._ "

"Alright," the fox grinned. "Have you ever heard of ipecac...?"

* * *

*** _Five hours later in Judy's/Bellwether's study*_**

* * *

Dawn's stomach gurgled again after her meal provided by her tigers. Clutching at her stomach she hurried towards the nearby small mammal size outhouse, only to find the door blocked with a sign saying, "out of service".

_How can a hole in the ground be out of service…_ Bellwether grumbled, her knees clanking together as she bolted for the nearest cabode she could find, groaning as she saw an elephant leaving it, waving at his trunk with his hoof. As soon as the door slammed behind her, the elephant stopped and turned, glaring at the building. Stomping over to the outhouse, the elephant gave several hard knocks with their trunk.

"Keep it down in there!" the soldier roared, a smile curling over his lips at the terrified yelp from inside.

"woahahhahahaaaa!" * _splat*_

_My work here is done..._ the soldier grinned, walking off back to the barracks as a horrified shriek came from the outhouse.  _Nobody treats Hopps the way she does and gets away with it._

Two of Bellwether's tigers had wandered out of  _Hopps'_  home, looking around the field for their boss as private Trunkaby walked past. "I think I saw your boss heading towards the cabode," the elephant stated mutely. "I think she might be in a bit of a... _sticky_  situation."

* * *

**_*Back to the present*_ **

* * *

After Nick had laid out his plan, the pair had set off for the store, bought the tea, as well as some ipecac, then offered both to the Fort's chef with specific instructions on when and how to put the 'special ingredient' in Bellwether's meal. The plan had provided a bit of a release to Judy's nerves, however, with how frazzled she still was, it didn't take a genius, or in this case a well meaning fox, to recognize that she needed something more.

"Tell you what, Carrots," Nick said, clapping his paws together. "I can tell you're a bundle of fluff waiting to explode and need a way to release that tension. So, I propose a practice in swordsmammalship, with you teaching me how to use a blade."

Judy just stared at him blankly. "You want a sword lesson… now?"

"Why not?" he exclaimed, taking on an overly exaggerated fencing pose. "You need to release some stress, and I'm sure your laughter as I break nearly everything in the room of my home we'd be practicing in would remedy that, no?"

Not being able to keep the grin from her face, Judy smiled at her friend. "I won't have to buy what you break, right?"

"Absolutely not, one hundred percent you won't have to," the fox replied.

Judy grinned. "Good. Now let's go see how many vases we can destroy."

* * *

The answer to how many vases and pots Nick could break in one sitting they had found out, was 24. They had set up in an empty storage area of Nick's home, right next to his gated entryway to his fields, where he kept extra pots and vases around for storing berries and fruit during the picking season. The clumsy fox had nearly dispelled all ideas that he could secretly be Zorro in Judy's mind for several reasons during their three hour session.

The first, was he didn't use his left paw. The second, no mammal could fake being that clumsy, for that long, while destroying that much of their own property to prove a point. By the end of the lesson, the ground had pieces of pottery everywhere as well as other random odds and ends. In several pots that Nick has smashed to pieces while trying to fend off Judy's practice advances, they had even found different colored jewels that had been hidden inside them.

"I was wondering where those rupees went..." Nick muttered as he picked up the jewels. "I've been missing these since the last harvest."

If the massacre of the pots was bad, it was nothing compared to the fate of the upholstery in the room. The remnants of pillows were scattered about the guest room that was connected to the storage area, feathers strewn about the floor, couches, tables… everywhere. The fox was certain he could perform a certain spinning slice he had seen The Fox do once, and before Judy could stop him, he ended up twirling about in circles, his sword catching in the nearby sofa, nearly bending the sword in half before it bounced back into his stomach with a loud yelp from Nick as a loud ripping sound split the room.

"I liked that sofa…" Nick whined, staring at the furniture that now held a massive hole and tear through the center of it while rubbing his stomach. The laughter of the rabbit, who was rolling on the ground clutching her own stomach, filled his ears.

"Oh my...oh…oh my!" Judy giggled, wiping at her eyes as she pushed herself up. "Nick, do you  _always_  want to try everything you've seen others do?" The rabbit glanced at the fox through laughter fueled tears as his shoulders slouched.

"I thought it would have been easier to do…" he muttered. Turning around, he flopped into the sofa with a sigh, fluff from within the tear shooting out into the room like a puffy cloud. The fox groaned again as the cotton floated lazily to the ground around him. "This was given to my family by Don Big nearly twenty years ago as a gift exchange. We received this sofa after mother..."

Judy's ears popped up as Nick fell into sudden silence. Pushing herself up and walking towards him, she noticed that even his tail hung limp over the edge of the sofa as he stared down at his paws.

_Mother? He's never mentioned his mother before..._

"Nick?"

Her calming whisper, as well as her paw guiding his chin up so he could meet her gaze, did wonders in causing his heart to race. He knew what she was about to ask him about, and painfully pushed her paw away.

"Not now, Carrots," he hushed solemnly. "Maybe another time perhaps, but… please, not now."

Judy nodded, grasping his larger paw in her own. "Then I will hold you to that, though always remember you've got a confidant in me. If you ever want to talk about anything, I have two ears for you." As if in response to her words, she rotated her ears around, letting them flop up and down once as a cheesy smile graced her lips, hoping the display would bring some of the cheer back into her friend's eyes.

The chuckle that came from him was warm and inviting. "Alright Señorita Hopps. I promise you I will someday tell that story for you. But for now?" he sat up suddenly, showing a confident smile, "We will continue this lesson until I am able to at least hold a sword without bringing harm to any more of my furniture.

Judy grinned. "Sounds fair by me, Señor Wilde."

Time passed quickly for the two as Judy tightly controlled the lesson from that point on. The clumsiness of the fox from before slowly,  _painfully_ , gave way to a much less inept version by the time the sun was beginning its slow descent above the Pawcific Ocean.

"Good, now again," Judy instructed, bringing her sword up in a slow motion as Nick parried the attack. She pushed forward again twice more, each successive strike being blocked by the fox. "Good, again!"

"Can we go faster this time?" Nick pleaded. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

"You want to go faster?" Judy exclaimed. When she saw the fox nodding vehemently before her, as well as his tail wagging furiously, she could only nod and giggle softly. "Alright then. Faster it shall be." Capitán Hopps held up her wooden practice blade, lunging forward as Nick jumped back, bringing his own practice sword up in a parry, then pushed her blade away. Grinning the rabbit went back to her original position, before striking forward again.

She nearly missed the gleam in the Don's eyes as their blades connected. His movement was swift, silent, and would have otherwise been deadly if not for the present wooden swords they were using. Pushing Judy's blade aside, the fox turned in a circle as he moved forward and inside of Judy's reach. Before she could jump away, she felt a light tap upon her backside, sending her ears shooting straight up.

"Ahah! Yes!" Nick howled in triumph, his paws shooting up into the air. "Did you see that Judy? Did you see what I...just...did…?"

His excitement was short lived as he saw the bunny slowly turning, her eyes betraying no hint of emotion as she frowned at her friend.

"Eh, Carrots?" Nick chuckled nervously. "You know it was only a joke, right?"

"Oh yes," she replied, her voice devoid of any amusement as the left corner of her mouth curled into a smirk. "Quite an enjoyable one at that so let's see how  _you_  enjoy it."

Nick yelped, turned, and fled from the rabbit, nearly dropping his sword as she chased after him. The door creaked open, a small desert fox walking into the room with a platter of fruits, berries, cheese and breads, only for his mouth to drop open as he watched a rabbit chasing a fox around the room. Slowly, Finnick backed through the door, closing it with a shake of his head.

Judy gave Nick an A for effort, as she managed to corner him roughly two minutes later. Both breathing heavily, Nick pressed himself up against the curtains. "Now now, it was only in jest."

"This will be as well," Judy replied with a smile, lunging forward, trying to reach behind Nick. The sword caught inside Nick's jacket as the fox tried to turn, pinning him against the fabric. Unfortunately for both mammals, however, the fabric was not nearly as strong as the force pulling it away from the wall, and a loud tearing sound ripped through the room for the second time that day.

"Woah!" Judy cried as the curtains tore from their hangers one by one, the fox frantically flailing his arms around him as he came crashing down upon the rabbit. In a repeat of what happened during Nick's previous swordsmammalship display, the fox and curtains came crashing down, but this time, upon a bunny trying desperately to hop away.

"Not again!" Nick shouted, watching as the curtains fell over them as he frantically attempted to push them both out of the way of the heavy fabric.

Being unsuccessful in his attempt could be labeled as an understatement for Judy. She watched as in slow motion Nick flailed madly above her, before crashing directly on top of her. Judy felt the world spinning as Nick twisted his body, holding her close to his chest as the two hit the ground, Nick landing hard on his back with Judy atop him. The sudden stop pushed Judy forward, and before she could think even blink, her muzzle connecting directly into Nick's their lips meeting in a forceful kiss as the curtain fell over them, shrouding them in darkness.

 


	23. Under Cover

Shock froze the bunny in place as the curtain fell upon her and Nick, the last thing she could see before all went dark were two emerald eyes widening as darkness descended upon them. A jolt of sudden panic went down her spine as she realized what they were doing.

_Capitán Judy Hopps… you are kissing Don Nicholas de la Wilde! A fox!_

The second thought that registered within her mind was just how much she was…  _enjoying_  it? Frozen in place, she felt her mind going numb at the pressure against her lips, until the fox below her frantically began to swing his arms wildly about.

"Oh no," she heard him yelp, as he struggled against the curtains surrounding them. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Capitán! Oh, escarabajos hervidos!"

"Nick," Judy pled. "Nick, calm down! Please!" Her yelling did no good as it only seemed to increase the fox's shaking and frantic movements.

 _Did that kiss scare him that badly?_  Judy wondered, suddenly worried about what how her friendship with Nick would be affected by such a simple, accidental occurrence. Moving her paws in the darkness, she searched out his arms, trying to grab them to calm him down. Finally finding  _something_ , she grabbed hold of it tightly, realizing a second too late that what she had grabbed was  _far_  too fluffy and  _way_  too skinny to be his arm…

"Ay, caramba!" Nick howled, jumping up and sideways, dragging Judy and the curtain along with him before rolling into  _something_  nearby.

 _"_ Oh, sorry, sorry!" Judy chittered as she let go of the fluffy object, feeling as the Don's tail brushed past her ears as he heard soft whimpering from her friend.

"Mi cola…" the fox stated, as Judy could now feel his arm moving in what must have been him brushing his appendage.

"I'm sorry Nick," Judy whispered, trying to figure out exactly where she was in relation to him as the curtain still completely shrouded them in its now confining grasp. "I was trying to find your arm and…" Her sentence broke off as a growing feeling of sadness built inside her chest.  _So much for your friendship…_ she thought.  _First, you kiss him, then you yank his tail… what's next?_

"It's ok, Judy."

Her friend's words shook her out of her cloud of worry she had set herself in.

"But Nick," she replied, quickly being silenced as a large paw swatted her in the face. "Ow!"

"Oh, sorry!" This time it was Nick's turn to apologize as he nervously chuckled. "I was only trying to place a finger upon your lips, not swat your nose..."

"...and eyes," Judy added, rubbing her face to get the stinging sensation to disappear more quickly. "Let's just try and get out of this, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me," was his quick reply as he tried to sit up. Or at least Judy thought he was sitting up as she felt what must have been his lean torso underneath her move, causing her body to arch backwards before the fox slumped back down to the floor. "Ok, maybe another direction then..." This time, Judy felt him move to his side, clipping her ears with what must have been his elbow.

"Ow!" she stammered, bringing her left paw forward to rub at her ears. It only made it halfway before her own elbow connected with the fox's gut. The vulpine yelped, his legs bucking, shooting the rabbit forward. Judy felt the top of her head connect hard into the bottom of Nick's muzzle, earning another yip from the fox as Judy groaned in pain and rolled to her side.

It was a bad mistake.

Her roll took Nick along with her, wrapping them closer together underneath the curtain, tumbling a second and then a third time until they were trapped so close that both could barely move their arms; remaining pinned against one another chest to chest.

"Well, this is awkward, no?" The Don bluntly stated, feeling the bunny struggling against the fabric encapsulating the two of them together.

"Only if you want it to be."

The words slipped out of Judy's mouth before she could stop them. Her eyes widened in the darkness as a groan escaped her lips. "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers!"

She heard her friend snicker, only causing her ear, what she was sure of, to turn a deeper shade of crimson than they most likely already were. "This isn't a laughing matter, Don Wilde!" Judy growled, struggling against the curtains holding her rather snug against Nick. "What if someone walks in here and sees us like this?"

"What is there to see?" Nick chuckled. "We are completely covered. The only one who knows we are here is Finnick, and who would he tell."

"Everyone!" Judy spluttered, before making another embarrassing realization. "Oh, carrot sticks! That was just..."

"Dumb?" Nick quipped, earning a quick slug from Judy's fist. "Ow! Alright, alright! I'll stop, Senorita!"

The two fell into an uneasy silence, each trying to think of a way out of the current mess. Judy tried squirming against the fabric, only to become frustrated with how little she was able to move, while Nick tried his best not to say a word at the bunny currently fidgeting on his chest. The lack of the ability to move in the confined area was becoming more than annoying to Judy.

 _Can't go backwards…_ Judy thought as she found the curtain seemed to wrap even tighter around that area, so much so that she couldn't even push past Nick's waist. Struggling forward, she felt her knee connect into Nick again, this time, eliciting a high pitched whine from the fox.

"Oh, sorry," Judy murmured in surprise.

"It's ok," Nick cried, his voice slightly higher than before.

_Oh geez, was that his…_

Judy let out a groan as she realized where she had accidentally kneed the Don. "Oh Nick, I'm so sorry for that. I just can't see anything and I was trying to get out of here and..."

She felt a paw press itself against her face, floundering for a moment until a finger touched her lips.

"Again, Capitán Hopps, it is alright," Nick said in a soothing voice. "I have survived much worse than that, even if you do have a kick that could stun an elephant."

Judy felt both relieved and horrible at the compliment. Relieved that Nick still seemed to be, well, Nick, despite all that was happening currently. Though she was also still feeling absolutely horrible for everything that had happened while rolled up in the curtains with him.

"Can you move at all?"

The question startled Judy from her thoughts. "A little," she replied, sliding herself forward across his chest, making sure that her knees were  _far_  from the center of the fox to the point where her legs were basically straddling his waist. Shuffling forward slowly, she cautiously made her way up his chest.

"Good, as I cannot," Nick chuckled, his paw still on her face, though now cupping her cheek. "Ok, stop right there or you'll clock my muzzle with your head."

Judy did as ordered, reaching forward and indeed feeling Nick's jaw a few inches ahead of her. The smile she felt upon his lips was comforting. That smile was about the only thing she could considering comfortable about this situation.

_Well, besides that you have a nice, comfortable fox to lay on, who is ridiculously handsome, strong, and a great kisser and that light above his head makes him look like a saint…_

"I see a light!" Judy suddenly yelled.

"Don't go towards it," Nick chuckled. "I've heard that the destination is nice, but I wouldn't want you there right now." His comment earned a soft push against his chest, and her own light laughter played along with his.

"No, really," Judy repeated. "I can barely see a bit of light behind you. If I can get out then I could unwrap you and get you out of this."

"What if I like being in here with a beautiful bunny?" Nick whined, though Judy could tell he was partly joking.

 _Is he though?_  She asked herself.  _Can't think thoughts like that, Judy. That kiss was totally by accident. You are not falling for your foxy friend even if that kiss, that 'accidental' kiss, wasn't the best moment of your day today._

After telling her mind to be quiet, the rabbit again pushed against the fabric. "Alright. I'm going to see if I can make my way around you to get out of here, ok?"

"If you must," Nick whined, though Judy  _could_  tell this time he was joking by the light laughter that came after his comment.

Nodding in agreement, Judy began pushing herself forward, wondering how she would be able to get past Nick's large muzzle to reach the light behind him. Neither mammal currently under the curtain noticed the door to the room silently opening, revealing a fennec fox walking into the room as Judy became caught, struggling over Nick's muzzle.

* * *

Finnick held the bottle of wine in his paw, two glasses on a holder in the other as he walked towards the room he knew both Nick and Capitán Hopps were practicing in.

 _More like he's hustling her in…_ Finnick laughed inwardly. The small fox grinned as he trudged along. Don Wilde's plan was a good one, and he figured as long as he didn't do anything stupid, then he could most likely convince the soldier bunny that there was absolutely no way he could ever possibly be The Fox.

 _Gotta give it to Nicky. You're one sly fox…_ he thought as he placed the bottle of wine and two glasses on a large stone walkway as he opened the door.  _And one smooth…_

_"Ohhh!"_

Finnick's ears shot up as he heard what sounded like a mix between a groan and a shout. Flinging open the door, he looked for Don Wilde, flicking a small knife from his boot as he entered the room.

 _Where are you…_ he wondered as he stealthily moved across the room, making his way towards around the couch.  _Why are the drapes gone?_  he wondered.

Soon enough, his question was answered.

_Oh… my..._

"Nick, I can't get over it!"

"Yes you can, Judy, just push a little harder."

Finnick's jaw dropped as he gaped at the sight in front of him. The expensive floral patterned curtains which had hung on the wall were now rolled into a mess in the middle of the room, with a large lump in the near center of it. A lump that was currently moving.

"Seriously Nick, I knew foxes had big..."

"Don't say it," he heard Nick grunt as the curtain moved again. "Just- can you move past it or not?"

"I… I don't know," Finnick heard Judy state morosely. "If you were smaller I could just-"

The dagger in Finnick's paw dropped to the floor with a clatter. The desert fox, used to the sweltering heat of the desert, now felt like his ears were on fire.

 _This is not happening… this is not happening…_ he stated in his head, his lower right eyelid twitching as he took a step backwards, falling onto his back.  _Not happening… I didn't just walk in on them..."_

"Just try again, Capitán. You can do this. I want you to do this."

"I know," came her reply, as Finnick was still too shocked to move. Judy continued, "But right now, I'm stuck on you at the moment and can't…move."

_NOT HAPPENING!_

Feeling like he had walked into a nightmare, he saw the curtains began tossing and turning this way and that way as grunts came from the two mammals underneath. The more he saw the curtains move, the more he felt like weeping.

 _This is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday…_  he grumbled, as both eyelids began to twitch.

"Ahhhh!  _Finally!_ " he heard Judy cry in delight as a small bump under the curtains moved forward.

"Took you long enough, Capitán." Nick's chuckle was plainly heard throughout the room. "That felt like hours."

"Oh shush," Judy's voice came back in a mocking tone. "I think you enjoyed that."

"Did I enjoy that?" Nick's voice chimed back. "Yes, yes I did.

" _Shush_."

"Admit it Carrots, you were just looking for an excuse."

_"What?"_

"You enjoyed climbing over me like that."

_"No, I didn't!"_

"Not even a little? You seemed to enjoy hanging around with me under here."

_"Nick, that isn't even the least bit funny."_

"I thought it was rather punny considering the circumstances."

 _"You-"_  Finnick saw the curtains rustle again as Judy's shout grew louder.  _"Insufferable fox!"_

"You know you love me."

 _"In your wildest dreams,"_ the bunny shot back.

"I believe I just had one."

" _Urgh!_ "

"Sure you don't want to stay? It is quite comfortable under here."

Finnick watched the entire conversation play out in absolute horror.  _Did I just-_

His thoughts were stopped when two grey ears tipped with black suddenly popped out from under the curtains.

"I think I can get out, Nick!" came a joyful shout from the bunny.

Staring at the ears, like watching two oncoming trains colliding in slow motion, Finnick watched as Judy's head poked itself out of the hole, followed by a struggle before her arms and shoulders made their way out.

He caught her looking his way, her ears shooting up in alarm.

"Finnick?! How long have you been here?"

With a final spasm of his eyelid, the small fox's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell backward to the floor with a thud.

Judy looked at the comatose fox laying on the ground. "Uh, Finnick?"

 


	24. The Rise of Zorro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by R3D Fawkes

 

Finnick staring wide eyed at nothing with a cup of coffee in his paws, undrunk, with a blanket around him.

"Think he'll come out of it?" Judy asked, worry etching her words. Nick looked over at his friend and shrugged.

"Well, he hasn't said anything about it, so he probably will." Nick grinned as his comment earned a slight twitch from the smaller fox's ears, as well as a punch in his arm from Judy.

" _Nick!_ That was rude! He can't speak so why would you say such a thing!"

"We're like brothers," Nick calmly replied. "He doesn't mind at all, do you buddy?"

A soulless stare into oblivion greeted Nick.

"See?" Nick said, pointing towards the smaller fox. "He doesn't mind at all."

"That's because I don't think his mind is working right now..." Judy grumbled. "I can't imagine what he must be thinking of right now."

"It wasn't like we were doing anything bad," Nick replied with a shrug. "A curtain came loose, enveloped us and we were trying to escape."

"I know, but..." Judy's words tapered off as a frown cased her lips. "I just don't want anyone thinking untoward thoughts about… _us."_

 _Ah… I see._ Nick thought with a frown. For part of his life, Nick hadn't needed to care what other mammals thought of him. He was a Don, in one of the more powerful and affluent families in Califurnia. His lineage had power, wealth, and a good deal of respect in the more well-to-do circles around.

 _What more could a mammal want?_ he had thought at the time.

A lot… he had come to learn.

"Respect is a hard provision to come by, no?" he said quietly. Looking down at the bunny by his side, their eyes met in a mutual understanding. Without a word being said, Nick walked towards the door, not needing to beckon Judy to follow as the rabbit was already by his side. As soon as they were out of the door, with it shut firmly behind them, Nick sat upon the dusty porch. At the moment he didn't mind the dirt that he knew would stain his otherwise spotless clothing.

He had more important topics on his mind.

 _Should she know?_ He wondered. _If she wants to help Zootopia like I believe she does, then she has to know the truth._

Nick sighed heavily, the debate raging in his mind on whether he should let her in on why Zootopia was the way it was.

 _It couldn't hurt…_ he finally decided.

Patting the spot next to him, Judy joined him and soon the two fell into a tepid silence. One in which the bunny didn't know how to break, and the fox didn't know how to begin.

"A few years ago," Nick finally began. Judy listened eagerly to him, pulling her legs up while wrapping her arms around them. Nick noticed the movement and smiled. Shaking his head, then wrapping his arm around Judy, pulling her into his right side, he continued.

"Probably around five to six years or so, Zootopia was a much different place. The city was prospering, the soldiers were kind, and everyone respected one another. It was a peaceful, harmonious city. A jewel of Califurnia," Nick said while waving his paw in front of him as if the motion laid out his vision of the city of the past. Judy smiled and leaned into his side as the thinnest hints of a smile crossed her muzzle.

"Back then," Nick stated. "Nobody thought about banditos or desperados. The biggest crime that occurred was petty theft, which usually only happened after a family lost everything in a fire or had a bad harvest. 'Life is good', was the term we used to describe it. Una utopia de mamiferos."

Nick let out a huge sigh. "But, sadly, not all things could last. It was then, that Capitán Snarlo, the butcher of happiness, arrived."

Judy thought for a moment to see if she recognized the name. She was glad for the pause that Nick had taken, as it allowed her to organize her own thought.

"What does this have to do with Finnick?" she asked, worried about the tone of her statement.

Nick turned his head to gaze down at her with sorrow. "You'll see.”

The gaze he held her with caused a slight tremble through her, as if the air around her had grown cold. Nodding to the fox, Nick continued.

"When Capitán Koslov arrived, nobody thought anything of it at first. Just another rotation of the capitáns through Zootopia. That all changed after what happened in Foxton Glen."

Nick snuck a glance at Judy, only to see her raise an eyebrow in a questioning motion. "What's Foxton Glen?"

"Exactly," Nick chuckled sadly, shaking his head. "That is how totally he destroyed it."

The look of horror on Judy's face gave away her thoughts all too well. Nick's mind went back to that day of horror. The sights… the smells… it all washed over him like the oncoming tide...

* * *

"Get them out of here!" Nick roared at the panic stricken foxes that were cowering in front of their burning homes. Pointing towards a huddled and frightened gathering of children, the other male foxes finally ran towards them, scooping them up in their arms before rushing down the road, dodging flaming debris and scorched homes.

Nick frantically ran through the neighborhood by the bay, watching as mammals of all types tried in vain to put out the firestorm raging throughout Foxton Glen. It had started without warning, a simple brush fire at the edge of town. Nothing that the neighborhood couldn't deal with as they were commonplace in the summer months.

But then a second started, followed swiftly by a third and a fourth. Soon, dozens of fires had appeared surrounding the community in a blaze of flames and heat. The breeze blowing down from the mountains towards the sea only encouraged the flames as they sped towards the town.

The padding of feet came from behind him. Nick turned to see a soot-covered fox panting and gasping, a dirty rag covering his face.

"Don Wilde, the pathway out of the village has been blocked."

"What do you mean, blocked?" Nick yelled, eyes widening in panic. He had just come through that path a half hour before as there was no foliage along the seaside path for the greedy fire to consume. It was simply a skinny road between the cliff and the sea, nothing should have been able to block it.

"There is an overturned cart in flames blocking the path," the panting fox stated. "We're trapped in here."

 _This isn't happening…_ Nick thought as he turned to view the town he was in, or what currently remained of it. _They can't go through this again._

The community of Foxton had been originally set up as a refugee camp, where foxes of all kinds could come to live, sheltered by the citizens of Zootopia as no other town wanted the 'sly and dirty tricksters' around. Instead of ostracizing them, Zootopia had welcomed them with open arms and even gave them their own community where they could finally enjoy peace and harmony by the seashore. For decades the community had grown into a quaint fishing village, supplying the nearby city with most of their seafood. The steep hill surrounding the community on three sides offered protection from most weather.

Now, it was sealing the hamlet's fate.

"Get to the docks!" Nick shouted, coughing into his arm as the smoke and haze from the burning buildings began settling upon them. The arctic fox nodded, then ran towards a nearby bucket line and gave the order to flee towards the only avenue of escape left before the fire completely surrounded them.

Nick ran through the streets, jumping past burning debris and dodging buildings that collapsed into the street in an effort to make sure everyone was out of the small fishing village. A wail from his left jolted his attention towards a house that had not yet been touched by the flames, but the straw roofed structure soon would be added as another victim to the scorching inferno as the house next to it caught fire.

Rushing into the building, Nick found the source of the cry. A small fox kit lay on the floor next to a collapsed crib, screaming in fright. Hurrying to pick up the kit, Nick dashed out the door as the furthest wall of the house began smoldering, smoke building inside the building.

As soon as he was out into the middle of the wide street, Nick undid his own pawkerchief and gently wrapped it around the crying babe's mouth and noise. Hearing the now familiar groaning of wood behind him, he dashed away towards the harbor as the flames claimed yet another home.

All he could do was run, joining the frantic masses of mammals from Zootopia that had rushed to save the community, only to find themselves now trapped within the inferno. The screams and cries of children and women tore the air as children cried for missing parents and women searched for their children. A fierce wind from the mountains caught them all, sending a wall of sparks and burning debris upon the crowd, further causing panic to control them as structures that had up until then been untouched, now burst into flames.

The rush of mammals now turned into a violent stampede for their lives.

"Say calm!" Nick yelled, trying to assuage the panicking mammals. "Please, don't panic!"

His words went unheeded as the mass of mammals trampled their way through the main street. Several gnu's and antelopes that had sprinted to help were shoved aside by an elephant. The mammals were thrown into a nearby wall of a food stand, the awning covering it collapsing atop them.

A fox priest to Nick's right was counting rosary beads over the still form of a marmot while across from him another priest tried in vain to comfort what must have been the late mammal’s wife.

Another scorching blast of superheated air tore through the group, catching even more buildings on fire around them. The antelopes struggling out of the awning screamed in fright as the fabric caught fire above them. In a bout of fear induced panic, the group struggled into the crowd, dragging the burning awning atop them while their panicked cries filled the air.

 _What caused all this..._ Nick wondered as he was jostled off into a side alley where smoke lay heavy in the air like a mist. The screaming horde of mammaldom ran past him unabated as he ducked down the alleyway, holding the whimpering kit in his arms. Fleeing down side alleys, he finally made it to the dock where mammals were fighting over positions in the remaining boats. He watched in horror as the same panicked elephant from before leapt onto a boat made for medium-sized mammals in a desperate attempt at fleeing the flames behind him.

All Nick heard was the screams as the boat was crushed beneath him, sending the occupants of it into the murky depths of the water below. Knowing it was foolhardy to continue towards those boats as more and more mammals crowded around them, Nick rushed down the road that curved around the bay, waves lapping at his feet as he left pawprints in the sand behind him. Spotting a boat in the distance, he made for it, bolting forward as he saw flames descending upon the houses nearest to the shore.

He could only pray that the mammals behind him had managed to make it out as well.

Upon reaching the boat, he heard a sound behind him. A vixen stumbled blindly onto the beach, gasping for air as she retched onto the sand. Pausing with the kit in his arms, he gently laid the baby fox inside the small boat before darting back to the vixen.

"Are you okay?" he questioned. Nick was relieved when the vixen nodded before he wrapped one of her arms around her shoulder and scooped her up in his arms. The frail, shaking mammal curled into him, sobbing as Nick ran again for the boat. When Nick arrived at the craft, he was surprised to see that a small tan fox had crawled inside. The poor creature was bleeding badly from his mouth, yet without any bandages, Nick had nothing to stem the flow without blocking the fennec fox’s breathing.

Shoving the boat into the water, thanking whatever Celestial was watching over them for the rather benign waves that hit the boat as he jumped inside. Rowing out into the bay, he was finally able to glimpse wholly the destruction of the town.

Most of the village was now engulfed by flames which reached nearly a hundred feet into the air in places. The docks were the only place left that had not yet been consumed and he could see the silhouettes of mammals tossing themselves off the docks and into the briny deep, preferring to risk the sharks or whatever other demons lurked below, to being torched alive on land.

Nick couldn't help but feel the tears trickling down his face as he rowed away from the destruction of a town he had played in often when he was a kit. As he rowed towards Zootopia, he could only pray and hope that all those he knew had made it out alive.

* * *

"That desert fox that I found in the boat that night was Finnick," Nick solemnly stated. "I only found out later after that he had been up on the ridge above town collecting boysenberries when he saw a group of soldiers with torches spreading out along the ridge. He tried to hide, but was caught by one of them and brought in front of Capitán Koslov."

At the name of the polar bear, Nick couldn't help the sneer that crossed his face. "He...he ordered Finnick's tongue cut out so that he couldn't tell anyone what was about to occur, then was forced to watch as the soldiers began lighting tumbleweeds aflame along the ridge before pushing them into the town below. As the soldiers laughed, he managed to escape and made his way to that boat right before the whole town was destroyed. 95 mammals lost their lives that day, including 47 foxes. Several including friends I had grown up with while my father was away on tours."

Judy had tried to remain as emotionless as she could throughout his story, trying to be strong for her friend as she saw how taxing it was on him to retell this tale. Her resolve finally broke at hearing how one of her own, a capitán no less, had been in charge of the destruction of an entire community.

With tears streaming freely down her cheeks, Judy wrapped her arms around Nick's chest.

"You did everything you could do, Nick," she whispered, hiccuping slightly. She felt a tiny drip of water fall upon her nose, causing it to twitch. Wiping away the tear that had fallen on her, she moved to grip Nick's muzzle in both her paws, staring straight into his tear-filled eyes.

"I will make things right in Zootopia, Nick," she whispered, placing her nose against his as she breathed in deeply, trying to both calm herself, and the crying fox. "Thank you for telling me this Nick. I had no idea this had happened."

"Nobody outside Zootopia really does," Nick replied. "Once Finnick was about to write what had happened it was already too late to try and force Koslov out. He had already called in extra soldiers and the mob that had formed to oust him was put down with extreme prejudice."

" _Oh Nick..._ "

The fox shook his head, breaking the muzzle to muzzle contact they had as he turned away from the rabbit. Placing his paws in his arms, he readied himself for the bombshell that was about to fall upon his friend.

"The night the rally to avenge Foxton Glen was crushed, was the day that Zorro was born."

He could tell that Judy's ears had instantly flipped up from their mournful place behind her.

"What?" she asked with surprise.

Nick nodded. "They say that one of the surviving foxes that lost everything pulled himself from the rubble and vowed to avenge his fallen family and friends. With his fur and clothes dyed a permanent black in remembrance of those who died, he swore to protect Zootopia against all corruption and villainy."

Turning to face Judy again, he was met with a gaze of overwhelming sadness and grief. " _While_ I may not agree with his methods, and despise the violence he has resolved to use, you now understand while all mammals in Zootopia _respect_ The Fox and hate the army that has basically been occupying the city since."

The silence that fell between them was long and excruciating. Nick just wanted it to end, but had no idea what to say until Capitán Hopps had time to understand everything and..

"Except for one."

Nick's ears flicked up. "What did you say, Capitán?"

His gaze caught the rabbit's amethyst eyes in his own. "Except for one. Capitán Skye. You mentioned her before. The, 'one good capitán', right?"

Nick blinked. Then blinked again. Before he could even form a sentence, Judy continued.

"What happened to her?"

Four words. Those four words that sent a shiver of panic and sorrow to fill his heart.

_Not now… I can't handle it now._

"That's a story for another day," Nick said, standing up abruptly and taking a step off the porch. Nick refused to meet her gaze, still facing towards the main gate of his compound. "You should probably head back into town to see what the Magistrate wants."

He felt a paw rest on his shoulder, gently tugging him until he turned around. With the height difference from the porch to the ground below, Judy was staring directly into his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me Nick," she supplied before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss upon the side of his muzzle. He saw a light blush creeping upon her features as a soft smile formed upon her lips.

"And for the record," she stated nervously. "I don't mind what people think of foxes. I… I found that I kind of like one myself."

Judy stepped off the porch, bowed deeply towards Nick before placing her bolero back upon her head, her ears settling down against her back. Casting one last shy smile towards Nick, she made one last comment that forever sealed Nick's fate, _and_ his heart.

"I will make sure that those responsible for those heinous crimes are punished for what they did. And that whoever Zorro is...that he receives my thanks for what he has done for this town that my predecessors have declined to do."

 


	25. Wheeling and Dealing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by KungFuFreak07

Five days. It had been nearly a week of near total humiliation for Capitán Judy Hopps.

 _More like errand bunny at this point_ … Judy grumbled mentally. The doe had learned that Bellwether had taken a nasty spill into the cabode in the fort and had, for some insane reason, blamed Judy for it even though the bunny was 'wrapped up' in other activities at the time. So, for the past days Magistrate Bellwether had gleefully made her life as horrible as she could.

"Oh, Dust Bunny! Stop here! There's a lovely shop I want to go into."

_Speak of the devil..._

Judy slowed to a stop, panting heavily as the ewe jumped out of the rickshaw the bunny was pulling. Already a massive pile of boxes of clothes and knickknacks were tied onto the back of the cart and even with her considerable training, it now took a while for Judy to get the blasted cart even moving after it came to a stop.

"Madam, are you sure you-"

"Oh, hush you," Bellwether snapped in a singsong voice. "Servants of Califurnia shouldn't backtalk their bosses, okay?"

"But-"

"Tut-tut-tut!" Bellwether giggled, booping Judy on her nose with her hoof, causing it to tremble once before Judy's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Now I'm going to go in here and buy some more lovely dresses that would look lovely on me and," the ewe looked Judy up once before giggling, "well, they might make you look passable for a tramp, hehe. See you in an hour Dust Bunny!"

Judy grit her teeth in annoyance as the ewe disappeared into the story. Judy leaned against the rickshaw, grateful for the break as she began muttering.

"Stupid sheep with her stupid position..."

Judy wasn't one to normally voice her frustrations aloud. Most things she could typically handle on any given day. But this _ewe_ had so far managed to press every single one of her buttons continually for the past week.

"I can't even do my job anymore," Judy sighed, raising her eyes to glance at the mammals passing by. Most of those who had seen the conversation between the bunny and the ewe gave her pitiable glances and shakes of their heads, while a few others snickered and pointed at her.

 _I should arrest them for loitering..._ Judy thought, bringing the barest hint of a smile to her face.

_"Psst..."_

Judy's right ear shot up, nearly flicking her bolero off her head with how quickly it raised. She turned her head, following the sound of the whisper, her ears now turning in case she heard it again.

_"Psst… Capitán Hopps…"_

Judy craned her neck up, wincing as she looked directly up into the sunlight shining down on her. As quickly as the sunlight blinded her, a shadow passed over her, shielding her eyes from the harsh light.

When she finally managed to get the blurriness from her vision, her eyes narrowed.

"You."

Zorro stood atop a nearby building, his trademark grin plastered across his face. "Miss me, Capitán?"

"About as much as I miss rancid turnips," Judy shot back with a smirk. "Have you come to turn yourself in yet?"

The fox laughed, gaining the attention of several of the other mammals along the street. "Oh no, no, no, no, Capitán. I've simply come to have some fun. I've missed you this past week and figured you'd want to do something more, _invigorating_ , no?"

"Beating you isn't invigorating," Judy quipped back with a grin. "I get a better workout in my morning jog than I do fencing you."

"Why, Capitán!" The fox gasped at the slight, even though his smile only widened. "Then I guess it won't take long to get _this_ back then, will it?"

The fox lifted his paw to show one of the packages that Bellwether had bought that _should_ have been sitting on the cart next to her. Judy's eyes darted to the cart, then to the package in the vigilante's paw.

"Oh, sweet cheese and crackers." Judy gasped in horror. Two days before Bellwether had claimed Judy had stolen a gift from the cart and had made her pull her around for an additional three hours. "Give that back! You have no idea what will happen if that isn't there when she returns."

The most annoying and infuriating smirk came across the vulpine's muzzle. "Then I guess you'll just have to catch me to get it back?" With a swish of his cape, the fox vanished from the lip of the rooftop.

"Oh, no you don't!" Judy growled. Running to a nearby alley, she leapt up and onto the side of the building. Coiling her legs, she pushed off the wall and flew towards the building on the opposite side of the alley. Repeating the maneuver two more times, crossing the alley several times, she appeared on the top of the roof, rolling to a stop as she looked around for the fox. Spotting him a few roofs away waving at her, Judy growled and sprinted towards him.

The cackling canine took off like an arrow, though not in quite so much a straight a path as that projectile might have taken. As Judy launched after him, The Fox took to leaping from building to building at angles, and in one instance, when Judy was near enough to touch his billowing cape, he grabbed hold of a flagpole and spun in a half circle, grinning as he spun past a bewildered and annoyed Judy.

Nearly twenty minutes later, and halfway across town, Judy was beginning to feel the effects of pulling Bellwether around for nearly a week. Her breaths were becoming more and more ragged. Several times the bunny had tripped and nearly spiraled downwards into an alley below. Each time she had managed to catch herself before meeting a grisly end, only to hear the taunting voice of Zorro asking where she went.

Pulling herself up with a grunt, she placed her elbow on top of the ledge of the roof she was climbing back onto from her latest drop, panting and feeling the heat radiating off her ears in such copious amounts she could have probably heated the farm back home from them alone. Just as she looked up, she nearly went cross eyed as the pointy tip of a blade was placed against her nose.

"Guess you lose again, eh, Carrots?"

The voice of The Fox had never sounded more annoying and more smug to her at that point, than at any other time she had met him.

"Go suck on a cabbage," Judy huffed. Her elbow slipped off the ledge, leaving her hanging just by her fingers. She pushed her hindpaws into the adobe, hoping her tiny claws could find some grip, but found them only slipping against the hardened clay. Taking a glance down, she gulped at the nearly four stories she would fall if she slipped.

 _He led me straight to the tallest buildings in the city…_ she mentally groaned. _Clever fox…_

"I don't suppose you could speed things up?" The Fox chided, looking down at her as one paw slipped. Letting out a muffled gasp, Judy quickly swung her body enough so that she could regrip the wall with both paws.

"Would it hurt you to be quiet so I could concentrate?" Judy growled, attempting to pull herself up again. Her arms were burning and before her ears had even cleared the tip of the roof, she fell back with a huff, her muscles completely spent.

Zorro shrugged. "Possibly, but who knows what I'm waiting around here for." His eyes took on a mischievous glint. "Maybe I'm just waiting for you to get up here so I can eat you."

"The only thing you'll be eating," Judy grunted, pulling herself up so that her elbow was again lying on the roof. Huffing and puffing, she glared up at the fox. "...is my fist."

The fox's eyes lost a bit of their mirth. "That does dampen our relationship a tad bit, no?"

"Is that what this is?" Judy replied, groaning as she struggled to bring her other elbow atop the roof. Finally after a few agonizing seconds, both elbows were resting atop the roof again and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "Because if it is, it's the most inconceivable relationship I've ever had."

Zorro let out a bark of laughter. "Ah, Capitán Hopps," he chuckled as he put his sword back in his sheath and leaned down. "This is why I am keeping you around. Your charm knows no bounds, and your witticisms are endless. Though I do not think you used that word correctly and do not quite understand what it means. Now, would you allow me to be the gentlemammal I am and help you up?"

Judy let out a snort as she tried, and failed to push herself up onto the roof, before going back to breathing heavily as her armed began to burn even more.

Zorro let out an annoyed huff as he tapped his foot against the wooden roof. "I hate waiting..."

Judy suddenly found herself being pulled up into the air as Zorro grabbed a hold of the back of her shirt.

"Hey!" she shouted, struggling in the air. "Put me down!"

"And risk the wrath of an angered bun?" The Fox stated in surprise. "Not on your cute fuzzy little tail-"

Zorro's comments were cut off as he pulled his head back as a small grey fist went whirling in the air right where his muzzle had just been. "Oh, feisty little rabbit. Good, good… as that is exactly what this town needs."

Again, Judy found herself moving without her consent. This time, falling unceremoniously to the floor of the roof. A cloud of dust billowed up around her as she coughed, waving her paw in front of her. Struggling to see through the haze and feeling her legs now trembling from the chase, she watched as Zorro began pacing several feet away from her.

"You see," he began, his paw scratching his muzzle. "I've come across a predicament recently. That predicament being you, of course." He smiled in her direction before continuing. "Before you came, I was able to gallivant around town fighting off all sorts of malevolency in all its forms. Troops, villains, rogues… titles didn't matter to me."

Zorro stopped pacing and eyed the bunny curiously, as if she was an object he couldn't comprehend. Judy, to her credit, glared back at him while sitting on the roof and supported by her left arm, hoping she'd soon have enough strength to take on the rogue monologuing before her.

"However, you've destroyed all that."

Judy blinked. "What?"

Zorro grinned. " _You've_ destroyed that balance this town has had. For several years now the only thing that anyone living in Zootopia has been able to count on is corruption at all levels of city government. From Capitanes all the way down to _tax collectors_." The fox grimaced at those words, a shudder making its way down his spine before he continued. "It has only changed one other time, and this… this is why I need your help in exchange for a deal."

For a second time, Judy found herself blinking in a stupor of thought. "A… deal?"

"Yes, a deal," Zorro stated. "When two mammals get together and decide upon a mutually beneficial plan to-"

"I know what a deal is," Judy huffed. "I'm not a dumb bunny."

"Again, you said it, not me," the fox laughed. "So, would you be interested?"

To be sure, Judy's curiosity was peaked. What kind of deal would a vigilante try and strike with a Capitán? _Especially_ , one who's already stated goal was to capture that same vigilante? Her eyes narrowed as she folded her arms across her chest. "What _kind_ of deal?"

"Ah, now we are getting somewhere!" Zorro said with a laugh and clap of his gloved paws. He rubbed them together with a smug grin on his face. "So, if you would follow me, I'll let you in on a dirty little _secret_ about Zootopia's military presence."

With a flick of his cape that brushed Judy's ears, causing her to swipe at the offending object, Zorro was off at a leisurely gait across the rooftops once more. Groaning, Judy pushed herself up, her curiosity giving her a second wind as she jogged after him.

* * *

"This is a good enough spot to talk."

Judy looked around at the secluded glen Zorro had led her to. She couldn't guess how far out of the city they were, but it couldn't have been more than a mile or two as they had barely left the last houses behind a half hour before. And judging by the position of the sun, it was still barely past two o'clock in the afternoon.

"So," Judy started, glaring at the fox who had taken a seat on a nearby boulder, leaning up against the tree that stood behind it, with his arms folded behind his head. "Why did you bring me out here? And it better be a good enough reason for me not to arrest you this moment."

"Oh, I assure you, it very much is worth it," Zorro hummed, closing his eyes as if there was no reason for him to fear the perturbed rabbit standing mere feet away from him. "You see, Capitán Hopps, you've probably noticed that I have been very good at making Capitanes pack and head back home, no?"

"Ten, since I've heard you began," Judy stated bluntly. In her research of the previous rulers over Fort Zootopia, she had seen just how quickly they had gone through them in the past three years.

"Nine," the fox huffed, his eyes opening and narrowing. "You over-counted by one."

Judy glared at the fox. "I'm a rabbit, so I'm pretty sure I'm good with numbers."

"And I'm fairly certain you are wrong, madam," the fox growled, baring his teeth for a moment before he recomposed himself at the sight of Judy's paw going for her sword. Zorro sighed. "Sorry, I apologize profusely as I do not want this meeting to get off on the wrong paw. You see, I've chased away _nine_ Capitanes from Fort Zootopia while _one_ has disappeared."

 _That_ was new information to her. "What do you mean?" Judy asked. "At the academy when they mentioned you, they stated you had killed one, Koslov, while chasing the other nine out with grievous wounds." She raised a paw to silence him as he was about to protest. "Now I know from watching you, Zorro, that I highly doubt you would have killed Koslov like I was told, as all the times I've seen you fight, you have yet to even draw blood with your sword, though other objects seem to be fair game..."

She watched as the fox's eyes flickered up to the rabbit's head where both knew a small scar now lay beneath the grey fur.

"So," Judy continued. "What is _your_ side of the story?"

"Why, Carrots!" Zorro gasped, gaining a frown from the rabbit. "I thought you'd never ask." Chuckling at the annoyed look he had garnered, Zorro sat forward on his rocky perch. "You see, I only began my sojourn into the realm of swashbuckling due to-"

"Foxton Glen," Judy interrupted. Zorro's ears perked up.

"Who told you-" he began to ask, only to shake his head. "Never mind, it's not important who let you know about that, but only that you understand why I do what I do." His eyes turned to gaze into her own, the obsidian blackness of his fur making them appear a dark forest green. For the briefest of moments, Judy felt herself lost in those eyes, until a snapping of fingers brought her from her trance.

"Capitán, your attention, please?" Zorro asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face. As she shook from her trance, The Fox laughed. "Do you often get lost in a fox's gaze, Capitán?"

 _Apparently more than I should…_ Judy groaned mentally. She hid that thought deep within her mind, locked it inside a box, then that box inside a chest and then tossed it into a closet hidden within the furthest recesses of her mind. "No," she lied instead.

"Alright then, back to the story," Zorro continued. "You see, Koslov was the first that decided this job wasn't fit for a mammal of his character and thusly departed with a good thwack of my sword to his posterior. Blastmoot was next, and boy, was that one worse than the first. It was then that I wondered what was going on, as up until those two, Zootopia had always had wonderful leadership. Capitanes Grizzoli, Simba and Gazelle all come to mind immediately."

The Fox sighed heavily, his eyes falling to the dusty ground. "Then she came."

The silence that fell between them seemed impenetrable as Zorro simply stopped talking. Deciding she hated this build up, and deciding the risk was worth it, Judy walked over to Zorro's side and sat down next to him. Zorro flinched when he noticed her sitting next to him, so deeply was he lost inside his mind.

Judy kept the snickering to herself as she noticed for the first time the pained look in the vigilante's eyes.

"Who was she?"

"Capitán Skye."

Oh...

_Oh..._

"I've heard of her," Judy replied. "She seems to have been a good leader from what I've heard."

The fox nodded. "She was the best," he began, kindness filling every word he spoke. "The epitome of what a Capitán should stand for." He let the silence draw itself out for a moment as a smile crept upon his face. "Naturally at first I did what I had previously done and tried to force her out yet she persisted, eventually winning over the citizens who grew to love la buena zorra." Suddenly his eyes grew again grew cold, and his words no longer contained the warmth from earlier. Even his eyes grew darker as an aura of anger flooded the region around him. His gaze turned to match her own, and for the briefest of moments, Judy felt the primal instincts to flee from the terrifying predator sitting inches away from her.

"Then Bellwether came and within a month everything changed. Skye was no longer the Capitán we knew her to be. She had became forlorn, despondent, withdrawing into herself until the soldiers she had commanded acted more like brigands than servants of the people. Then, at a month's time after Bellwether's arrival, six months into her rule, she disappeared without a trace."

Judy started with a gasp when both of Zorro's paws grabbed her shoulders, his eyes glaring into her own. Instinctively her nose began to twitch before she could bring it under control, her right paw already reaching for her sword when the gravelly voice of The Fox cut off all her thoughts.

"This is my deal. I need you to promise me and the citizens of Zootopia that you will not allow that venomous ewe to destroy the last vestiges of hope you have begun to give them again. There is something foul she is planning, and if you help me in finding out what that is, and bringing her to justice for her crimes… I will turn myself in the very next day."

Too stunned for words, Judy slowly began to nod, only for it to be cut off with a growl from the fox.

"I need words!" he shouted, though she could detect a hint of pleading in his voice, as they were no longer barbed with toxicity, but with a tremulous tone that was laced with worry.

"I promise on the lands of my father's farm that I will bring justice to those who seek to destroy it. Such was my oath at the military academy, and such is my oath now."

Keeping his eyes focused on her own, Judy felt the fox studying her… taking her mind apart adobe brick by brick as if to uncover any vestiges of deception in her words.

"You may have heard the legends that a fox has the ability to tell whether any mammal is lying, simply by looking into their eyes. That even the slightest bit of deception can be told through the stories a mammal's eyes hold."

"Then what do my eyes tell you?" Judy demanded.

Smiling, Zorro released his hold on her shoulders. "They tell me you are telling the truth. That I have no need to worry that you'll always seek justice no matter who, or what, may stand in your way."

Pushing himself off the boulder, The Fox took several steps away from the rabbit before speaking over his shoulder. "I believe that you have an ewe to look after, do you not?"

Judy blinked, then groaned as she remembered about the Magistrate. Casting an annoyed glance at the fox, she gathered herself together before sliding off the boulder. "For every hour she makes me pull that cart extra, I'll have another of the brigands you beat put in a cell with you for another day."

She saw Zorro turn his head and give her a smile. "I would expect no less from you, Capitán Hopps."

For the first time since their meeting that afternoon, Judy smiled. "As I would expect you to find some way to charm them into not assaulting you as well."

Laughing, Zorro waved her goodbye as the bunny dashed off the way they had come. His eyes and ears followed her until he could neither see nor hear her anymore.

Nick let out a huge breath of air as he went back to sit on the rock. "I'm sorry I had to do that to you Judy," he began, speaking to nobody but himself. "...but I had to know where you stand before I can give you any more of my heart."

"It's a dangerous game you are playing," a voice suddenly sounded from behind him. "And you seem to be tossing yourself into the deepest part of the ocean where monsters dare not to swim and even Davy Jones fears to sail."

"Those are waters we both seem to enjoy treading..." Nick turned to see Admiral Wilde walking out from behind a nearby tree. "...father."


	26. Snooping Around

Judy ran back to the city with a renewed vigor, catching what must have been her fourth wind of the day during the rapid sprint down the hill, onto a dirt road and another mile into town. The thought of bringing justice to the entire city kept her sprinting as she blew through the outskirts of the town, arriving much faster back at where she left the cart.

_At least I hope that Zorro isn't messing with me. He did seem pretty adamant about what he wanted though._

As she ran past startled mammals and dodging the random cart, either by sliding under or leaping over them, her brain worked to decide if what Zorro had said was true.  _On one paw, if it was_...

"Sorry, excuse me, coming through!" Judy yelled at a group of wildebeest. The herd didn't even notice her so instead of trying to jump them, she bolted towards a nearby wall at an angle. Leaping up, she darted several steps against the adobe until she was past the group of complacent mammals before leaping back onto the ground, rolling to break her fall then was off again like an arrow.

... _if it is true, then something seriously is wrong that needs to be brought to Bogo's attention. If Bellwether is behind the corrupt Capitáns of the past, then what else could she have done to make the world a worse place._

Though if what The Fox said was false, she could end up in quite a bit of trouble.

 _Gotta play this one out carefully Judy..._ the bunny told herself as she reached the square where she left the cart and...

Judy skid to a stop, her ears drooping behind her. "Oh no..."

In the middle of the square, outside the shop where she had raced after Zorro, was a very furious looking ewe. Bellwether's foot was thumping furiously as she glared daggers at the rabbit. Spotting the car nearby, Judy noticed that every package that had been inside the rickshaw, or strapped onto it, were now gone.

"Aw queso dulce y galletas saladas," Judy swore before trudging over to the angry magistrate.

"I leave my little servant bunny for a minute… a  _minute!_  And you run off without me, leaving me stranded here in the middle of podunk with nothing but ruffians around that have  _stolen_  ALL my precious belongings!" Her voice rose until she was screaming at the rabbit, causing Judy to wince as her ears folded down behind her.

"I don't see any ruffians or thugs," Judy responded. She only realized after that it was probably not the best thing to say, but the past hour had been physically and mentally draining on her so she gave herself a pass.

Though, Bellwether didn't seem all too forgiving.

"You don't see any ruffians, do you?" Bellwether snarled before pointing at a side street. Judy followed her outstretched hoof and saw a group of kits playing with marbles.

"You mean the kits?" Judy asked in wry amusement.

"Those little monsters aren't  _kits_ ," Bellwether grimaced. "They're little disease ridden varmints that should be shooed away into some dirty corner where they can match the filth there." Giving another grimace at the innocent children playing nearby, Bellwether turned her gaze onto Judy. "And  _you..._ we're going to have a long talk about your punishment when you pull us back to the fort."

"I was chasing Zorro," Judy stated, pointing back the way she came.

"I was chasing Zorro," Bellwether said in a mocking, whiny voice. "Just pull me back to the Fort so I can decide what a dust bunny like you is good for. ."

Judy groaned in exasperation as the ewe heading toward the cart, hopping daintily inside while she glared at Judy.

"Well?" she snarled.

Sighing, Judy trudged over to the cart and began to turn it around, heading back towards Fort Zootopia, the ewe complaining loudly the entire way back.

* * *

After nearly an hour long lecture in the hot sun from the angry ewe, who was actually under a nice umbrella rather than standing on the baking dirt like Judy had been,

Judy watched Bellwether and her tiger entourage  _finally_ leave the fort. She gratefully sighed in relief as they disappeared down the street.

 _Now to actually get something done around here..._ she thought. With the ewe gone, Judy went to do what she had planned to do if given the chance; snoop around to see what exactly the Magistrate was up to _._

Turning abruptly, the rabbit officer strolled to the building that used to be her chambers until the disgraceful ewe arrived. She was startled to see the torch key raccoon that had come in with Bellwether standing a few feet behind her, his bolero cupped in his paws.

"I apologize for your treatment."

Judy could feel the sorrow coming from the soldier. Walking up to him, she put a paw on his shoulder, causing his eyes to lift from staring at the hat he was clutching.

"Max, was it?" she asked, receiving a nod in response. "You don't need to apologize for anything. Only Bellwether can apologize for her own actions."

"I know," he replied, "but I can't stand how she treats everyone like this. First taking away your room, then having you live in the shack next to the outhouse..."

Both small mammals turned and shuddered as they looked at Judy's new abode. Especially as a rhino stepped out of the outhouse next to it, waving his hoof and gagging as he trudged out of the outbuilding.

"Does she treat everyone like this?" Judy asked, realizing that the raccoon soldier standing before her could be a wealth of information for her.

He nodded. "Sí, Capitán. Though she seems to have had it out for the capitanes here the most."

"What do you mean?" Judy pressed, her ears shooting up.  _Maybe he might know something...?_  "Who else did she do this to?"

The torch key raccoon's ears lowered dramatically. "It was about a year ago when Capitán Skye was here. It was like Magistrate Bellwether wanted to break her and break her quickly. At least after a correspondence she received a few days into our stay here."

"I thought those letters from headquarters were only supposed to be shared among officers," Judy started, noting the growing nervousness of the mammal before her. "Did you overhear her reading it?"

A very slow nod happened. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help myself. I had begun drumming for the raising of the flag, and apparently Bellwether had a massive hangover from the night before from Fangstooth bar. She… got mad at me for waking her. One of her tigers destroyed my drums and she ordered me to stand in the corner of the building with it over my head until her headache went away. I overheard bits of one of her tigers reading the letter to her when it came in several hours later."

Judy's jaw dropped slightly.  _Hours...?_   _What is wrong with this ewe?_  Judy seriously began considering writing a letter to Bogo to inform him about the situation and the blatant abuse of authority the ewe had been practicing for so long. She could take it herself, but nobody should abuse those beneath them...

The image of a stunned rhino with a broken horn lying on the ground popped into her mind, and her righteous fury suddenly developed an ashen taste in her mouth.

_Am I… no better than Bellwether?_

The shock of the idea caused her nose to twitch sullenly. Was she any better than the ewe? Her record in this town was fairly split along what she had done, with her first acts being to abuse a child of his toy and then assault one of her soldiers. She could put both off as the disoriented actions stemming from extreme exhaustion but… in the end, that was simply an excuse. Like a thin blanket thrown over a fire to hide its presence, only for it to burst into flames moments later and allow all to see the inferno raging beneath.

"Capitán Hopps, are you alright?"

Startled from her thoughts, Judy cast her eyes over at the torch key raccoon, who was looking at her with concern. "Sorry," she began, rubbing her forehead. "Just lost in my thoughts."

"Didn't look like that fun of a place," the soldier replied. "Your nose was twitching kind of badly."

Judy's ears shot up in alarm, causing the drummer to step back. "Did I say something wrong? Am I not supposed to mention a bunny's nose? I'm sorry if I..."

"No, it's okay," Judy responded, placing both paws upon his shoulders, trying to calm the nervous mammal. "They were just some unpleasant comparisons which stung like a scorpion."

"Oh..." The raccoon shuffled his feet in apparent nervousness. "Would you want to talk about it?" he asked hopefully, a shy grin forming on his muzzle.

"Maybe another time, but thank you," Judy replied. Nodding in response, the other mammal's full smile returned. Seeing the hopefulness in that gaze brought a small grin back upon her own face.  _It might be good to have him around for a bit…_

"You know," Judy hummed. "Bellwether probably won't be around here forever, and we need a decent drummer..."

"Really?" the private yelled, his paws clenching together, not in anger but in pure excitement. "I've been wanting to get away from the Magistrate since I first began working for her. Could you really do that for me?"

"I can't make any promises," the rabbit replied. Noticing an instant drop in the smile of her friend, she quickly added. "Though check with Private first class Ramic over in the quartermaster's store and he might have some forms that you could fill out for a transfer. Again," she saw a sparkle reappear in the raccoon's eyes, "...it's a long shot, but maybe I could get her or Commandante Bogo to approve it once he returns next."

Judy was shocked by how quickly the soldier jumped at her, catching in a rather massive hug that left her feet dangling in the air.

"Oh, thank you so much!" he stated, finally releasing her from the embrace. "I'll go find him right away!"

With that he turned and ran towards the nearest building.

"Wait!" Judy's yell stopped him immediately. She pointed towards the second building closest to the entrance of the fort on the opposite side he was running towards. Giving a sheepish nod, he turned and ran towards that building, skipping several times before disappearing inside the quartermaster's store.

Judy, once again making sure the coast was clear and noticing only the sentries on duty standing at their posts, started for her old quarters. Double checking again to make sure nobody was giving her a second look, she quietly slipped into the building, closing the door behind her.

 _Thank goodness they don't lock that door…_ Judy thought as she crept inside. To her surprise, quite a bit of the room had changed over the past few days. The luxurious couch that she had dragged back to the fort in a wagon on Monday was sitting off in one corner, while the elegant coffee table that she'd hauled in on Wednesday was situated in front of it, a pile of newspapers scattered atop it.

Beginning on one side of the room, Judy carefully made her way across, searching every nook and cranny for any sort of evidence linking the mysterious Capitán Skye's disappearance to Bellwether.  _At least I hope he isn't just pulling my ears…_ she thought wryly, wondering if the masked vigilante was indeed sending her on a wild goose chase for his own enjoyment.

 _Still…_ Judy thought.  _I didn't see her name in the fort's ledger when I arrived._

Judy stopped as a thought struck her. "Where is that ledger anyway?" Thinking back, she hadn't seen it since the day that Commandante Bogo had arrived in Zootopia. Hearing the sound of laugher outside the door, Judy darted behind the new couch Bellwether had brought in, thanking it for being as large as it was as she rolled underneath it. The tassels hanging low around the furniture hid her completely as the door creaked open.

"Can't believe that ewe forgot her wallet," a voice grumbled. Judy recognized it as one of Bellwether's loyal tiger guards and shuffled further under the sofa until her foot snagged onto something. Looking back, she noticed a bit of fabric hanging from the underside of the couch.

"I can," another voice grumbled. "If we didn't remind her, she'd forget about putting on her fake wool in the morning."

A loud cackling filled the air as the two tigers began laughing uproariously.

"Ah, it's just too good!" the louder voice gushed. "I don't know why she adds that little bob onto the top of her anyways. I mean, how often does Tony get away with grabbing that little ball of fluff and tussling it?"

"Hehe, that tiger's got issues," the other voice chuckled as their footfalls made their way across the room. Judy held in her breath, barely wanting to breath for fear it would give away her position. Though when she heard a sudden sniffing, she froze.

"Do you smell sum'thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I smell..." the sniffing grew louder as it neared the sofa. "...rabbit."

Judy heard a scoff com from across the room. "Of course you smell that dumb bunny, Jack. She lived here for weeks before she was shoved out. Should have made her dig her own burrow to live in as that's about all them rabbits are good for. That and farming carrots."

"Heh." The sniffing grew ever closer, the light in front of the sofa growing darker as the large mammal approached.

 _What do I do, what do I do...…_ Judy almost went into a panic. Here she was, trapped in a room with two tiger guards for a mammal that absolutely despised her.  _They can't find me here or else..._  Her eyes flickered around underneath the couch, when they stalled upon the fabric.

Jack continued sniffing as he crossed the room, heading towards the sofa. "Smell is coming from over here." Another huge sniff and he let out a grunt. "Definitely a rabbit."

The other tiger now unfolded his arms and walked across the room. "What, do you think she's in here right now? The little dirt digger is probably in her shack where she belongs. She doesn't want to play nicely with the Magistrate and Big Boss, then she deserves all the problemas she's given. Just like how we dealt with those two foxes the last time we were here. That Don Wilde and his fiancé that we got rid of..."

Judy was pushing herself backwards and towards the tear in the sofa when her blood ran cold. _Don Wilde....was engaged?_ The gears in her head started turning faster and faster. _How come he had never mentioned that to her before and who why would Bellwether go after Nick and her?_ Hearing the pawsteps coming closer, Judy swept her mind clear and focused on getting away from the two rather large tigers looking for her.

Jack paused as he knelt on the ground, turning his head to see the other tiger. "Wait, Rodriquez...you mean to tell me you know Big Boss? Does he really have foot long claws sharpened by a whetstone every day?"

"I haven't seen Big Boss ya simplón!" Rodriquez snarled. "I've only seen what's left of the ones who've crossed him...or her. Ripped to shreds with claw marks everywhere."

Jack shivered. "I wonder if that's what will happen to ole fluffbutt out there."

"Probably," Rodriquez said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Wouldn't mind seeing her turned to mincemeat and fed to the fishes.  _Now_ what are you doing?"

Jack pulled up the sofa, lifting it off the floor as he stuck his head beneath it. "Thought the smell was strongest here." Still holding up the sofa, the feline produced a small, at least to a tiger, sized knife from his belt.

"Get up from there!" Rodriquez growled. "There's nothing under there, see?" The tiger pointed underneath the sofa. "No bunnies there, got it?" Smashing his curled fist into the sofa, the added weight caused the furniture to drop onto Jack's head. The tiger hissed in pain, shooting out from under the sofa while rubbing his head.

"What did you do that for?" he grumbled, sheathing his knife.

"Did you forget? The  _Magistrate_ is waiting on us to get her this," he held up a small purse, "...so she can drink her tail off."

"Scat… forgot about that. She's going to be ticked."

"Ya think?"

* * *

The sound of claws clicking against wood retreated until the sound of a door slamming finally silenced them altogether. A gasped breath was heard from the sofa as the middle cushion began to move and shuffle. Finally, a grey bunny's head cautiously popped out from underneath the sofa cushion.

"That was close..." Judy whispered as she squirmed out from underneath the massive pillow. "Glad that hole was there or I'd have been burnt carrots!"

After setting the cushion back into position, Judy hopped to the floor and quickly bolted upstairs, eager to put as much distance as possible between her and the front door in case the tigers returned again.

Before Judy could do anything, the thoughts from before came back in a massive wave and she had to lean against the wall as the shock wore through her.

"Nick was engaged to a now missing mammal..." The thought tore through her, bringing a line of tears trickling down her cheeks. _Poor Nick...how can he still be so upbeat and lively when he's suffered so much?_

Judy allowed the feelings to flow over her for a few minutes until her tears ceased. She still had a job to do, and as Nick wasn't here for her to wrap her arms around and pour out her heart to, she had to pull herself together.

 _Now where should I search first..._ Judy thought as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. Though the thoughts of Nick were pushed to the back of her mind, they were still there. Raw and open, waiting for another opportunity to strike.

Opening the door to her prior chambers, Judy noticed the drastic difference in how the room looked now, compared to just a week before when she last stepped foot inside of it. She instantly noticed all the bags and empty boxes which came from the assortment of items the ewe had bought over the last several days. The four corner bed now was covered with bright pink curtains, and the bed itself was covered with a goose down, silky white comforter. Mounds of pillows were piled around the room, and the smell of expensive, sickeningly sweet incense permeated the room.

She couldn't help her nose twitching at the disgusting medley of scents wafting through the air, assaulting her nostrils with each breath.

"Oh, cheese curds, what is that smell?!" Judy waved her paw in front of her nose as she crept further into the room. Spotting a pile of clothespins underneath a nearby chair, the rabbit quickly placed one over her nose to halt the foul odor. Walking over to her former desk, Judy jumped up onto it, noticing in quiet disgust how disheveled it appeared.

 _Reminds me of my father's study back home…_ the rabbit thought. Unopened letters lay scattered about the table, while piles of paperwork covered the ornately textured wood surface. Rifling through them, Judy noted names, addresses, and anything that could possibly relate to this mysterious Capitán Skye that Zorro had told her to search for.

 _This could also benefit Nicholas if Bellwether also kept notes on the two of them. It seems like Bellwether really hates foxes for some reason…_ she thought, though it pained her to think that particular thought. Whoever Skye was, as well as this mysterious fiancé of Nick's, she had to find out what happened to them, though a swelling, nagging feeling in her heart made her almost want to quit the search already for what the ramifications might bring if she found Don Wilde's betrothed...

 _Just when you thought things were going well and you liked him..._ a thought rang out in her mind. _Will you still pursue him knowing you'd be only getting in the way of your best friend and his missing love._

_You can't think like that Judy. You serve the people, including the fiancé to the fox you have growing feelings for..._

Sighing heavily, she hadn't even realized she had paused in her search, her mind so focused upon the idea of what Nick might do if she indeed found what happened to his fiancé.

 _Would he want to know?_ She thought.  _Would he be angry that I'm doing all this without telling him?_ All thoughts of helping Zorro were quickly being wiped away, as thoughts of helping Nick grew to persistent in their badgerings.

"I must do this..." Judy scolded herself as the thoughts kept rolling on. Blinking her eyes several times, she refocused on the paperwork in front of her. "Nick needs closure and... even if it hurts me, I will find her for him."

After that, Judy dug into her search with a frenzy of a rabbit possessed, hoping it would stave off the hurt in her heart. The sun slowly crept below the skyline, dousing the room in an amber hue as the sun gave off its last rays of the day. Picking up her pace, she finished searching the last drawer, shutting it with an annoyed huff.

"Nothing. Not a single manuscript or clue in this entire carrot picking room." Judy rubbed at her temple before leaning back into a blanket that hung over a corner of the room. She moved back with a start when instead of a soft cushiony backrest, she felt some sort of metal instrument poking into her back.

"What's that?" she wondered. Pulling up the blanket, she finally allowed herself to smile. "Bingo." Behind the blanket was a chest sized for small mammals, and better yet… it was  _open._

With the last vestiges of light streaming through the window, Judy pushed the papers around on top, scanning their contents and noting nothing of interest. It wasn't until she spotted  _it_ , that she nearly giggled with glee. Pulling the pink toned book from the chest, Judy cracked it open and chuckled at the first page.

"She seriously called this her 'Journal of Wickedness?"  _She really is a ditz..._

Flipping through the pages, Judy didn't spy anything  _too_  evil within its pages until about halfway through, when the mention of a certain Capitán Skye came up. Reading further, her mouth dropped open at the next passage.

_"Just sent Capitán Foxface out to patrol el jardín de pigeon for the next two weeks. Oh, I'll be glad to be rid of her finally. Koslov has everything planned, and soon she'll no longer be a thorn in our side when she's in the El foso de la desesperación. Now, I just have to get rid of the tail-chasing Don Wilde and everything will fall into place."_

"What happened to her and why was she also targeting Nick?" Judy turned the page, only to find the next several pages to be torn out and the back side of the current page covered with so many scribbles to make it unreadable. Cursing her luck, Judy went to read further when a horrific sound of drunken singing caused her ears to shoot up in alarm.

"They're back already?" she gasped as the singing grew louder. Eyeing the book in her paw, she was tempted to bring it with her but after a moment's hesitation placed it back inside the chest. Rearranging the papers so that they looked roughly the same as when she had looked inside, she ran towards the window as she heard the door below slam open. Jumping out the open window, she ran as quietly as she could across the roof, jumping onto the ramparts on the outside wall of the fort and proceeding to casually stroll down the wall as if she was enjoying the sunset.

Glancing back at her prior quarters, and noting that candlelight began to flicker on inside, she hurried towards the other side of the fort, crawled down the ladder and walked swiftly to her new abode. Wishing she had brought the clothespin that she had left behind in Bellwether's room, as the smell of the outhouse next to the shed was nigh overpowering at the moment, she crossed the tiny, cramped quarters and began organizing her gear to gather the troops for the retiring of the colors for the night. As she opened the door and walked out into the courtyard of the fort, spotting soldiers marching towards the flag, she couldn't help the frown that crossed her muzzle.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: What have you gotten yourself into Judy. I think you might be a little over your ears in this one.
> 
> Credit again to DrummerMax64 for his OC Max Thrash. He'll be making continued appearances in this story, alongside several other OC's; Wedii from KungFuFreak07 and Sanchez Sandcat from Berserker88.
> 
> Also, for those who want the ball to happen, it is coming! It will begin in three chapters! Just a bit more so please hold on and...what? What are you doing with those pinecones... No...please...no please! *hit in the head with a pinecone* *and another*
> 
> Everyone: "I want to see Judy and Nick kiss now!"
> 
> I do too! *flees from pinecones*


	27. Shattered Heart and Dreams

After the retirement of the colors, Judy walked back to her bunk in a state of fitful unease. She had learned so much through her prying into Bellwether's office, and nearly all of it was completely shocking to her. The revelations she gathered about the illicit affairs of the sheep, as well as the plots against Nick, his fiancée, and Capitán Skye, were all things that would bring about the highest charges in the courts of the land.

And then there was Nick's fiancée...

As Judy walked into her outbuilding and shut the door, she slumped against it, slowly thumping her head against the cold wood.

"How could I have been so estupido."

After several slow bangs, she allowed her head to fall forward into her awaiting paws, settling just above her knees. She already felt the tears coming. The burning sensation was settling in the corner of her eyes, yet she had made a vow to her grandfather that had helped her through the harsh and belittling environment of the military academy.

" _Never let them see that they get to you, Judy,"_ he had told her the day she had left. " _Else they'll chew you up and spit you out to make next week's rabbit stew for all the foxes in the world!"_ Thinking back onto her Pop-Pop's words, she decided that there were times the advice was good, and times it was bad.

This was a moment when it would be terrible to take that advice.

Nearly a week's worth of bullying, tormenting from the dastardly ewe, ridicule and belittlement raced through her mind and showed itself in the beginnings of tears in the corners of her eyes. Trying her best to keep them at bay, her memories shoved one last, _cruel_ , thought that broke through Judy's resolve as easily as lightning could split a tree in half.

_Homewrecker...you've been flirting with a betrothed mammal._

The tears finally burst forth, breaking that dam of her resolve and flooding her body through throaty sniffles and body-shaking sobs. Families had always been the foundation of rabbit society, even back to the days when rabbits were at the lowest end of the food chain. There were few rabbits today that would dare to break those standards, even after thousands of years. The rule being if a bunny was eligible, any doe could chase them as much as they want, and vice versa, but the moment they were engaged....

 _I didn't know..._ Judy sobbed, clutching her head in her paws. _How was I supposed to know?_

 _You could have asked..._ the taunting voice replied, seeming to relish in the bunny’s torment. _Besides, why are you flirting with a fox anyways. He probably was leading you on from the beginning..._

"No..." Judy groaned aloud, shaking her head back and forth. "Nick wouldn't do that to me...I know he wouldn't."

 _Just like you 'knew' he was single._..the voice mocked again, seeming to cackle in glee at Judy's emotional despair. Stumbling to her feet, Judy leapt to her makeshift bed, a large canvas sack filled with straw, and pulled her pillow atop her ears, trying to drown out the taunting voice.

"I'm not a homewrecker," she sniffled.  "I'm not a homewrecker...I'm _not_ a homewrecker..."

With the pillow over her ears and her repeated mantra filling her mind, Judy didn't notice the door to her shack opening, or the five sets of eyes glaring down at her.

"Oh look what we have here..." Judy was so startled to hear another voice besides her own that she flipped over instantly, her pillow landing in the dirt next to her rucksack as her eyes widened in surprise. Before her stood a swaying Bellwether and her four tigers. The ewe cackled in drunken laughter before settling her glazed eyes upon the doe. "A...w-rrabbit that can't keep her paws on her own sw-tuff."

Before Judy could react, one of the tigers reached into the shack and ensnared the rabbit doe in his massive paw, only her head, ears and feet sticking out from his grasp. Judy gasped in shock and pain at the crushing pressure as the tiger held her in front of Bellwether. A sneer graced the magistrate’s face as she raised her hoof, smacking it across Judy's face, striking her cheek and whipping her face to the side.  

Judy's nose began twitching. It was not fear, as she had been in far worse situations than this and come out on top. Nor was it the pain of the blow, as it was rather a sad attempt at a slap. It was the pure shock of her sudden treatment that riled her nose.

"Did...did you think we wouldn't *burb* find out?" Bellwether slurred, raising her hoof to strike the rabbit again, but this time hitting one of the tiger's fingers instead. The tiger released the finger from his clutch around Judy's chest, allowing her to take in a large breath of air before his hold once again tightened. The ewe raised her hoof to point at the rabbit. "You've..you've been a very _naughty_ rabbit...slearching through...m-my things."

It was at that point that the ewe stumbled and nearly fell backwards, but was caught by one of her tigers. Giggling madly, she motioned with a paw to head out into the center of the fort. "Come...come, come-come-come-come on guys...let’s make us an ex-sample of this wabbit. Joaquim, get the rest of our soldiers from the tavern. We...we might need them for crowd control."

The five mammals, and one squirming prisoner, sauntered out to the center of the parade grounds in the fort as the last sliver of the setting sun bathed the area in a orange-red glow. The fourth tiger jogged out of the fort and caught a few stares...though most were directed elsewhere. Several soldiers wandering about stopped to look in pleasure at the odd sight of a drunk Bellwether, but their amusement turned to indignation when they saw their Capitán clutched in the paw of one of the largest of the tigers.

"Soldiers of Fort...Zootopia," Bellwether crooned out as loud as possible. "We have some... _entertainment_ for you tonight!"

Several more soldiers appeared from inside buildings and the barracks, some in half dress while others still in their full uniforms. Though one thing was similar on all their faces when they saw Judy struggling in the tiger's paw.

Anger.

Bellwether seemed oblivious to it all she let out a drunken giggle. "This _wabbit,_ thought she could try and steal from me...and steal from me she tried." Turning to face the doe, Bellwether snarled out the next sentence. "And what was it you tried to take from me, you little dirt digger?"

Judy's eyes widened as the sheep produced a journal from her jacket's pocket. _How did she know? She's drunk off her-_

"You think we wouldn't notice your stink in my special place? The only place you _hadn't_ been before I moved in?"

Judy paled underneath her fur. She had been so careful to put everything back _exactly_ how it was before she had touched them, but had completely failed to remember the lessons taught at the academy about scent masking: you can never fully mask a scent.

Pulling several matches from her pocket, Bellwether placed the book upon the ground, opening it up to a blank page. She flicked a match against her hoof, and the matchhead ignited, lighting the ewe's face while darkening everything around her. Grinning, she dropped the match upon the open book. The worn and dry paper quickly lit, consuming the book in an eruption of flames.

"Oopsie, clumsy me, hehe. Guess we'll never know what you were searching for, will we, hmm?"

Judy watched in horror as the only evidence she had against the ewe's blatant crimes burned to cinders, her desires and hopes to bring justice to Capitán Skye and Nick's fiancée disappearing in the ash from the book that fluttered away in the light breeze.

"Rodriguez!" Bellwether suddenly snapped, drunkenly sloshing around the still-burning book.

The tiger holding Judy in his paw looked down at the sheep. "Yes ma'am?"

The sheep's glare deepened as she settled her eyes upon Judy's own. "It's time we taught this _former_ Capitán her place."

"Former?" shouted several voices from the growing angry chorus. Surprising even Judy herself, one of the loudest came from Rhinovitch, who glared down over his broken horn at the four tigers and sheep.

"She's still our Capitán," the rhino spoke in a deep baritone.

"Yeah!" several other voices yelled out as the troops rabbled in disgust.

"Ain't no way we'd let you dismiss our bunny!" another shouted. Judy noticed Clawhauser joining the group, tucking in his uniform as he made his way to the front of the crowd.

"Silence!" Magistrate Bellwether screamed. Several canines whimpered in pain at her high-pitched wail. "I _have_ the authority from Commandante Bogo himself! Jack, the paper please!" she shouted, wobbling a little as she put her hoof out.

The tiger named Jack reached into his silken vest and produced a rather ornate letter. Slicing the wax seal open with his claw, he handed it off to Bellwether, who, in her drunken stupor, actually held onto it. Bellwether smiled as she sauntered over to Clawhauser, apparently trying, and failing spectacularly, at sashaying towards him although her swaying hips were thrown off by the way she stumbled about drunkenly. The cheetah grimaced as she managed to finally shuffle to him, falling head first onto his gut.

"Oh you pretty kitty, why don't you- _hurk-_ read this for me?" she cooed as the feline took a step back, causing the sheep to faceplant into the dirt. Sergeant Clawhauser grimaced and snatched the paper away as Bellwether placed a hoof over her mouth to stem the trickle of vomit falling into the dirt.

"Be it the order of Commandante Bogo del Gran Consejo de los Militares," Clawhauser began, squinting to read the fine print in the fading light. "...henceforth all administrative duties of Fort Zootopia are hereby given over to Magistrate Dawn de las Ovejas Bellwether with all actions decreed by Magistrate Dawn de las Ovejas Bellwether as having the full force of the council..."

Clawhauser leveled off, his mouth drooping into a frown as the paper slid from his paws.

"Oh, such a smart kitty!" Bellwether laughed, stumbling to her feet. "I might just keep you around. Now...where were we?” Stumbling around, Bellwether focused on the rabbit in the tiger's paw. "Rodriguez? Shake and break."

The tiger grinned. "Yes ma'am!" With a sudden fury, the tiger began shaking his paw in every random direction. An outraged cry of panic and anger swelled among the troops.

Just as the crowd of mammals was about to surge forth, a shout from Judy halted them.

"Don't move!" she shouted, still being tossed about while now becoming quite nauseous. Just when she felt like she was going to hurl, the pressure and violent movement overwhelming her, the tiger released his grip. Flying head over heels, Judy didn't know which way she was headed until she landed on something soft and fluffy.

Something that also made a slight 'oof' as she landed.

Staring up groggily, she noticed the worried face of Corporal Wolford looking down at the bunny he had caught. "Are you alright Capitán Hopps?"

Nodding once, Wolford let her down to the ground. The rabbit stumbled to her feet as she heard the sounds of swords scraping against scabbards.

"We will not let you get away with disrespecting our Capitán like this!"

"Put those away!" Judy shouted. Turning around to stare down her troops, she saw the puzzlement in their eyes.

"But Capitán Hopps...she-"

"I know what they did," she stated harshly. "...and I know what I've done as well. There is no need for you to lose your careers or face reproach and punishment over this issue."

"But..."

"But nothing!" Judy shouted. "As the leader of this fort, I have to set the example." Her voice lowered as she realized what was about to happen. Her lifelong goal of becoming a soldier and helping to make a difference in the world would soon be over. She couldn't even attempt to prove Bellwether's wrongdoings, as the evidence was now a smoldering pile of ash and char a few feet away. Turning to face the ewe, Judy marched forward, hardening her heart to what was about to commence. "We all have to take responsibility for our actions. Even when we don't like what the ramifications are."

"Such a smart, dumb bunny," Bellwether giggled as Judy marched in front of her. Forcing herself into a salute, she prepared herself for what would happen.

She still wasn't prepared for it.

Bellwether snapped her hooves and the tiger nearest Judy bent down and with both paws, ripped the epaulets signifying her rank right off her uniform, leaving nothing but torn fabric, white undershirt and grey fur visible. Judy shook at the violence of the act, but kept a straight face as she stared ahead at the Magistrate. The tiger looked at the two golden tasseled pads in his paws. Grinning, he let them fall to the dirt, then stomped on them, grinding them into the dirt.

"Oh this is so exciting!" Bellwether giggled. "I mean, I don’t get to do much of this anymore, so I'm glad to have crushed another do-gooder's soul. Now...let's sweep the trash out of the fort, shall we?"

The same tiger who had just finished destroying her dream roughly shoved her forward. Rolling her shoulders, Judy began walking towards the doors of the fort, just as the other tiger from Bellwether's entourage arrived with the several dozen troops she had brought along with her on her stay. Most of the soldiers looked on in confusion at the bunny walking towards them, torn uniform and tightened frown upon her usual cheerful face.

A drumming sound began and Judy halted halfway to the doors of the fort.

"Atten'hut!"

Turning her ears, she heard the sound of many paws and hooves marching in step. As her eyes followed her ears, she watched as her troops marched past her, led by none other than Sergeant Clawhauser and Private Thrash. The raccoon was drumming out a constant beat and smiled weakly at the rabbit while he passed. She watched as the two lines of troops marched to the entrance of the fort, Bellwether's troops making way for them or being roughly pushed aside. Then, at the sound of the drum, the two lines stopped, turned, and faced each other.

"Saaaalute!" the cheetah yelled. Instantly, several dozen soldiers offered their own crisp salutes, forming a most impressive display, even if half the soldiers were in only partial uniform.

Still stunned by the sudden display, Judy was rooted to her spot as Clawhauser marched towards her, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"You said we shouldn't stand up for you," he began, his voice warbling. "...so we will respect that wish, as we respect you, Capitán Judy Hopps."

Hearing the cheetah's voice cracking nearly broke Judy's resolve for a second time that night, as she felt a surge of pride at the cheetah's words. Each and every face gazing at her held the same look of respect, honor, and sorrow that Clawhauser's held.

"Capitán Hopps?" Judy was broken from the spell as Sergeant Clawhauser stood by her side. "Would you allow me the honor of escorting you, one last time?"

Looking up into the cheetah's eyes, Judy nodded, knowing if she spoke she would lose her composure instantly. Together, the bunny and spotted feline marched in step with each other through the two lines of soldiers. The moment passed all too soon, however, as they reached the gates to the fort.

"Thank you, for the honor of serving with you, sir," Clawhauser sniffled, wiping at a stray tear trickling down his cheek. "Sorry, I think someone brought an onion out here or something," he tried to joke, but only succeeded in spawning new tears.

Judy couldn't contain herself anymore. _To carrot sticks with decorum!_ she thought. Sprinting forward, she wrapped her arms around the plump cheetah's legs.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She felt a paw gently patting her back.

"Aww, wasn't that just _boring_ ," an annoyed-sounding Bellwether rasped from across the parade grounds. "Now boot her out on her bunny butt, and let's get rid of that mangy fur bag."

Pulling away from the feline's legs, Judy turned, noticing that Corporal Wolford had somehow snuck off to her shack and gathered her belongings. "Thank you," she whispered as she collected her rucksack and hat. The wolf nodded solemnly, bowing his head as he took a step back. It was with a great reluctance that Judy took the several last steps out of the fort. Turning around one last time, she went to give a final salute to her troops, only to see Bellwether's tigers slamming the fort's doors in her face. The wood creaked and groaned at the force, sending a plume of dust up from the ground, caking the bunny in the dirt cloud.

As the dust settled, Judy finally let her shoulders sag and a loud sigh to escape her lips. Looking up the road, then up at the moon now rising in the night sky, she shook her head, wondering where to go.

"Could always go to Don Wilde's," a side of her brain told her. Though that part shuddered when a picture of some vixen appeared next to Nick in her mind, the two foxes staring longingly into each other's eyes.

 _I can't do that to him..._ she thought. Banishing the idea from her mind —and while her heart began aching once more— Judy looked down the road in the opposite direction. There was only one other place that she felt she might be able to stay for the night, to rest before taking the long journey back to Bunnyburrow, returning as a disgraced officer of the army. Setting her paws in motion, Judy trudged off to the docks.

It wasn’t long until a familiar sign of a smirking cat stared down at her. Her paw rapped on the door several times, then she stood back and waited. It was several moments until Judy saw a light from a candle flicker into life through a window. The steady soft thumping of fur-covered paws reached her ears. The door in front of her creaked open as a sleepy-looking margay peered out into the street. When her eyes caught hold of the pathetic-looking grey doe with eyes glossed over and cheeks ravaged by twin lines of darkened fur, Weidii set the candle upon the floor, kneeled, and offered out her arms to the sorrow-stricken doe.

The dams burst for the rabbit. Judy rushed into the cat's arms, allowing the flood of emotions to finally overcome her. She felt the cat's arms surround her, patting her gently on the back as Judy slumped into her arms, bitter tears of a shattered heart and a broken dream drowning her in sorrow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of an emotional chapter huh? Yeah, this one hurt to write and I swear that there must be ninjas slicing onions somewhere in my room when I was writing this.
> 
> So, in other, happier news, Always reached all three goals for reviews, so in celebration, you all will be getting the three bonus chapters coming soon. Fox Joe was the lucky winner of the Random Raffle and asked for the final Bonus Chapter to be about the last day on the force for Judy and Nick right before they retire. So the three Bonus chapters will be, "Home Sweet Home", "First Words", and "Finally!".
> 
> With that, I hope you enjoy them as they come out, and also enjoyed this chapter. I promise things will pick up from here....please, not again with the pinecones!!! *flees*


	28. Broken Vessels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by Euphonemes

Nick strutted towards Zootopia with a spring in his step, a fire in his belly and a grin on his muzzle. His tail swished merrily behind him as he rounded the last curve and the city lay in his sights. Smiling even more at the adobe structures rising in his sights, he quickened his pace, hoping to be able to catch Judy right after the raising of the colors.

With the sky brightening and the sun at his back, Nick found he was already closing in on his destination. His talk with Judy yesterday, though disguised as The Fox, went rather smoothly, and he was hoping that soon he'd be rid of this burden he was bearing. Nick was absolutely certain that if anyone could find out information to shut down this ring of corruption and knavery that had held hostage the city of Zootopia for far too long, it would be Judy.

_If anyone can help end this evil, Judy can._

Nick covered the distance to the fort while thinking amorously of the lagomorph, his tail wagging through the plumes of dust his skipping feet kicked up. Looking up at the massive fortress he had grown far too accustomed to, whether during the day or at night, he wondered at how today might go.

 _First, I have to get Judy ready for our date._..he thought. The grand party he held every year for the citizens of Zootopia in his orchards.  _La gran mascarada_  was the culmination of his efforts to bring the city some joy under the rule of tyrants in the past. Now, he hoped it would be a much more pleasant affair.

 _Especially with the company I seek_...the fox thought with a smile.

Waiting patiently outside the massive wooden gates to the fort, he rocked back and forth on his hindpaws, awaiting the signal that the raising of the colors was over.

Several minutes later, his foot began tapping. First slowly, then picking up in speed as he looked for the sun's height in the sky to check the time.

_Judy is nothing if not punctual, so why is the posting of the colors so late today?_

' _thunk-creeeeaaak'_

Nick's ears raised as he heard the gates to the fort creak open. No bugle rang in the new day, and as he stepped back, he couldn't even see the Califurnia flag whipping in the light breeze. In fact, the flagpole was rather barren.

_What is going on here?_

Nick crept ahead slowly as he saw the gates moving inward. Several soldiers trudged out of the fort, their gait a shuffle and heads hung low.

"Excuse me, sirs?" Nick began as the soldiers approached. They spoke nary a word as they shuffled past, not even acknowledging the fox at all.

"Pardon me, could someone tell me where to find Capitán Hopps?" he asked in full while strolling alongside the soldiers. Several of the mammals flinched as he stated their leader's name, and Nick's ears perked up in confusion and sudden interest.

He slowed to a stop as , the other mammals trundled on to their patrols, leaving a head-scratching fox in the wake. Turning back to the fort, he hurried through the fort's entrance, hoping that Judy would have an explanation for the sudden shift in attitude of her soldiers.

Spotting Sergeant Clawhauser was no difficult feat, and the fox quickly jogged towards the portly feline. As he drew closer, he noticed another mammal, a sand cat by the looks of it, ripping into the cheetah with gleeful abandon.

"...and which is worse, is that you've grown friendly. You don't need that anymore. You need an  
_aire de confianza_  mi amigo! I have such a song that would..."

"Excuse me," Nick interrupted as the sand cat reached for a violin strapped to his back. Both felines turned towards him, the cheetah with relief and the sand cat with a look of annoyance. "Could you tell me where the Capitán is?"

"He is right here," the sand cat replied, sweeping his arms out in front of him as he chuckled. "And oh what a tale it is of him getting to this point. Here, let me sing you a song of his travails."

Nick's flummoxed gawping at the feline did nothing to stop the small cat from playing his violin and letting out a quick hum.

"Oh please Sanchez," Clawhauser mumbled. "Please no..."

_"I once was poooor, and destitute!_

_But then that eweee, she found me cute!_

_With the bunny goneeee, and me now hereeee!_

_I'll be the..."_

"Hold on," Nick stuttered while grabbing the violin out of the 'Capitán's' paws. "Where did Capitán Hopps go?"

Growling at the interruption, Sanchez snatched his instrument back away from the fox. "As I was saying..." he began as he played the violin.

" _That horrid bunnnn, she is now gone!_

_Bell had her singggg, her own swan songggg._

_Good riddance nowwwww, we can all beeee..._

_What I..."_

"Enough with the singing!" Nick snapped, a slight growl escaping his lips. "Where's  _Judy!"_

"She isn't here anymore."

The feminine voice sent a shiver down Nick's spine. "Magistrate Bellwether..." he said coldly as he turned towards the ewe. "Where is Judy?"

"Oh, that stupid little dust bunny pet of yours?" she crooned before giggling. "I tossed her out on her fluffy bunny butt last night for the fun of it."

"You  _what?!"_  The fox's shout stilled all movement in the fort. Several soldiers peeked their heads out of the cantina, while those standing guard along the walls all turned to see the irate fox, his fur bristling and tail shooting straight out behind him, staring down the ewe who simply admired her hooves.

"I... _fired..._ her," Bellwether cooed, her own gaze icing over to coincide with an evil grin.

Nick was at a loss for words suddenly...

...though only for a moment before his rage boiled over.

"You dastardly little twit of an ewe!" he shouted, taking a step towards the smaller mammal. "How dare you, you  _insolente, sin valor, pequeño cretino_!"

"Is that all, Don?" Bellwether giggled as the panting fox glared down at her. "I thought the son of _Señorita Vivian de la Wilde_  would have more to say. Where did she go after she abandoned you as a pup, hmm? Heard that the government wasn't too happy to hear about her... _history_."

"Why you..." Nick shouted, stepping towards the sheep with a raised paw, pointing a finger at the sheep. "How dare you insult my mother like-"

Nick's comment was cut short by a loud roar and a paw smashing into his muzzle. Don Wilde flew backwards, landing harshly in the dirt of the courtyard, coughing and gagging on the dust cloud as the tiger who hit him stood protectively over the sheep.

"My, my..." Bellwether laughed, stepping forward. "One would think you would remember the example your father set for you. Manners,  _manners_ , my young pelt," the ewe taunted Nick as he got to his feet. "That's something that the pathetic excuse for a Capitán should have learned, though I think she's been taught that lesson now."

Bellwether shoved her hoof into the pocket of her jacket, then tossed two items at the still fuming fox. "If you see her, tell her that she forgot these after they were ripped off her shoulders."

With slightly trembling paws, he picked up the two golden epaulettes from the dirty ground. Noting the strands of blue fabric still attached to them, he gaze turned back to the ewe, who was grinning like a mad-mammal.

"Now, pelt," she began. "This is  _my_  fort.  _My_  city...and  _he_ ," she pointed at the sand cat," is  _your_ new Capitán." With the smuggest of grins she could muster, she crossed her hooves in front of her chest. "If you leave now, your  _precious_  conejito won't meet the same fate as your mother. I know where the dust bunny is, and it would be all too  _enjoyable_  to see her feet dangling like another certain vixen we knew..."

The fox turned and bolted from the fort to the cackling laughter of the ewe. It wasn't until he was several blocks away, the sheep's' laughter still echoing in his mind, that he stopped to finally breathe.

He felt like he had been suckerpunched in the chest. The icy tendrils of the Magistrate's words lacerated his heart as he slumped against a rough-hewn stone wall. Several mammals nearby stopped to utter hushed whispers to each other, then quickly passed by the distraught mammal.

 _Only one place to go..._ he thought, as his feet took him in the direction of Weidii's pub.  _I'm going to need the distraction for a bit if Judy really is gone..._

* * *

The door to Weidii's pub was yanked open as the weary fox slunk in. Nick's shoulders were slumped, tail dragging behind him as he made his way to the counter.

"What are you doing here this early, Nick? The eggs and biscuits aren't even ready yet."

Weidii strolled out from the kitchen with a spatula in her paw. How she always knew when he arrived was a secret he would probably never figure out. Even the times he had crept in behind larger customers, she had always known his presence the moment he'd arrived.

Which was also why Weidii was one of the very few who knew about his,  _other_ , activities.

Nick grabbed a barstool and sunk into it. He slowly rubbed his eyes as he placed his muzzle on the counter.

"She's gone, Weidii...my last hope for this place...gone." As if it were possible, Nick slunk lower into his seat and laid his head on the table while crossing his arms in front of his muzzle..

"What are you rambling about now?" Weidii rolled her eyes, though she dutifully popped open an unused flask of whiskey from under the counter and poured him a shot. Nick shot her a tired but thankful smile before downing the stiff drink. "Who has been the latest vixen to break my poor Zorro's heart?"

"...notavixen..." Nick stated, his words slurring together while his arms lay in front of his mouth, blocking the sound.

"¡ _Disculpe_!" Weidii asked. "Can't hear you through your incoherent mumblings."

"She wasn't a vixen..." Nick growled. Noticing the shot glass had been refilled, he went to take it. His paw received a quick slap for the effort.

"Not until you explain yourself,  _amigo_. Now, why are you sulking in here an hour before your regular time, no? Especially on the day of the Ball that you should be busily attending to setting up? I didn't go and buy a dress for Finnick for nothing!"

Weidii's wild spatula barely missing his paw startled Nick from his misery.

"Geez, Weidii," Nick said, sitting back and away from the margay who now had her paw pressed to her hip. "I meant Capitán Hopps. She's gone! Bellwether fired her and dismissed her from the army." His eyes once again assumed a tired look as he curled into himself. "And what is worse is that it is probably my fault."

"Then you should go apologize to her immediately," Weidii shot back while leaning forward.

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because she's gone!"

"Really?" Weidii replied with a grin, one ignored by the now angry fox.

"Yes really!" Nick said, pulling on his ears. "Do you think Bellwether would have let her stick around at the fort after how that ewe treated her? After what poor Judy had been put through?" Nick let out a huff as his tail agitated behind him. "And after what I just did to her."

Weidii's eyes narrowed, and she leveled her spatula at him. "What did you do,  _Nicholas Piberious de la Wilde._ "

Nick recognized the threat/not-question he had just been posed. "I...may have asked her to look into some things of Bellwether's for me?"

"The  _cajones_ of you, you stifling fox!" Weidii growled. Before Nick knew it, the cat had jumped onto the counter and was smacking the top of his head with her spatula. "Why would you jeopardize her position like that?! You of all mammals should know what Bellwether is capable of!"

Nick fought off the spatula attack, finally managing to grab it from the margay's paws.

But Weidii wasn't done yet.

Looking around her, she spotted a bowl of pinecones she kept around for her more squirrely customers. Nick noticed where she was gazing and instantly grimaced.

"Now, now Weidii...no need for-"

"PINECONE!" Weidii shouted, as one of the aforementioned items bounced off Nick's snout. Just as he began rubbing the spot, another bounced off his left ear and got it twitching. Nick leapt off the stool, holding it in front of him like a shield while pinecone after pinecone crunched against the improvised wooden shield.

"You should have simply gone in as Zorro you arrogant fool!" the margay shouted. When her paw found only air instead of a pinecone, she growled and threw the entire basket at the fox.

Nick, taking the silence to mean that she was out of weaponry, snuck a peek over the stool, only to have his head clocked by the empty basket. The fox fell onto his rear, yelping as he landed on his tail while Weidii advanced on him.

"She has been here all night drinking away her sorrows and crying enough tears to fill every river and lake from here to Santa Meownica." She finally reached him and grabbed him by his black jacket. "I've tried to console her for  _hours_ , but she is in such a state that not even my homemade tamales could bring her out of it!"

His ears perked up. "Wait...she's here?"

"Of course she is here!" Weidii snapped. "It's why I'm up trying to make a breakfast that she might be able to eat, the poor  _conejita_."

"Where is she?" Nick was up as quickly as a mammal who mistook a cactus for a chair. "Weidii, please, I need to apologize to Judy."

"Should I let you after what you did to her?"

Her response cowed the fox. His franticness disappeared instantly as his tail curled around him.

"I probably don't deserve it," he replied, his eyes boring holes into the floorboards. After a brief pause, he turned his gaze to the feisty feline in front of him. "But I know I need to. It won't bring back her job, but...I need to do something,  _please._ "

Letting out a heavy sigh, Weidii let a good minute pass before nodding her head towards the stairs. "Second guest room on the right."

Nick mouthed a thank you and was running towards the stairs when Weidii's voice stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Nick, don't you go breaking that bunny's heart again, you hear me?" Weidii scolded. "I won't be repeating what she said while drinking away her sorrows last night, as that information stays between a patron and their barkeep, however..."

Weidii's eyes narrowed and her spatula, which had been tossed to the floor earlier, was back in her paw and waggling at him. "...you have an hour until the breakfast tamales are done. If you haven't apologized by then, I don't want to see your face again in here, comprende?"

Nodding his head once, Nick turned and bolted up the stairs. Letting out a huff of air, Weidii turned and walked back to the kitchen.

* * *

Nick made his way to the second guest room upstairs. Hesitating outside the door, he couldn't bring himself to knock.

_You are the one responsible for this, you know..._

Nick let out a heavy sigh, ears and tail falling low behind him.  _I shouldn't have had her investigate. I could have easily done so but..._

 _But what_...?

The fox already knew the answer to that. "How can it be that I'm not afraid to tackle a ship of smugglers, yet can't even face a single ewe and her tigers..." He let out a groan as his head thumped against the door.

"Weidii?" a voice from inside hiccuped. "Is...is that you?"

Nick's heart about broke at the sound of Judy's sorrow-soaked voice through the door. The mirth and joy he had come to know over the past few weeks was completely gone. Erased, leaving only what sounded like a broken husk of the rabbit he knew...and dare he say it, beginning to love?

"It's me, Nick," he replied slowly, cautiously. Worried that somehow she might know who he  _really_  was and seek revenge for losing her position, her rank...her life goal. The silence within the room was deafening after his announcement. Slowly, he heard the sigh of a bed, followed by soft pawsteps across a creaky wooden floor. As the lock clicked, he stepped back from the opening door that revealed such a pitiable sight that his heart broke the rest of the way.

The shell of what once was Judy stood before him. Streaks of tears pouring from bloodshot eyes had stained her fur. Her usually pressed and clean attire was wrinkled and unkempt. Her normally pristine jacket, one she took great pride in, was rumpled with two large gashes running down her shoulders where the epaulets of her rank should have been.

What worried Nick the most, though, was the empty bunny-sized bottle of Jack Savage whiskey clutched loosely in her paw.

"Oh... _mi bella_."

He barely had time to bend his knee and stretch out his arms before Judy was upon him. She dropped the empty bottle and gripped his coat with both paws wrapped around his neck. A wave of fresh tears stained his clothes as the rabbit wept in his arms.

"I've lost it all," she cried between hiccups. "I wanted to make the world a better place...but now...I've ruined it."

Nick wanted to say everything would be alright, but he couldn't gather the nerve to do so knowing what he did.  _You didn't ruin your dream...I did._

Following his instincts, Nick picked Judy up and carried her to the nearby bed. Sitting down, he leaned against the wall, letting Judy spill her emotions out to him. It was startling to him to see her in this state. The normally well-kept Capitán with a heart of gold and the ability to stare down a charging rhino had been reduced to an aching, timid stereotype of a rabbit. Nick glanced at the empty bottle on the floor, shaking his head as he knew that Weidii must have 'prescribed' it to her.

 _Curse the bottle for what it does..._ he thought before ministering to Judy, rubbing her back while rocking her back and forth.

It was ten minutes before Judy had calmed, then another ten before she stirred in his arms, gazing up into his eyes.

"Thank you," she said, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."

"I blame the bottle," Nick replied, causing Judy to turn her head slightly in confusion. "You aren't you when you're drinking."

Judy shook her head. "No, I have to take responsibility for my action.  _I_  am the reason I am..." her head lowered as her voice nearly broke. "...here."

"What happened?" Nick asked, fully knowing the why, but still wanting to hear it from Judy's lips.

The bunny let out a wry chuckle. "Bellwether happened...again. I learned some things about her and so I went on the advice of an...acquaintance, to see what else I could find."

 _At least she didn't say enemy..._ Nick thought, the idea the one bit of good news so far today, though they both still faced an avalanche of awfulness.

Judy continued as she sat back against Nick's chest. She let her arms fall atop her legs and let out a heavy sigh. "I...I found some things. Horrible things, but..." Judy cast her eyes onto her paws and expelled a mournful sigh. "...Bellwether burnt it all. I thought I could come back for it later, but no...her tigers caught my scent where she hid her book and so to protect her crimes, she burnt it and..."

One of her paws unconsciously went to her shoulder, stroking the place where gold braiding should have been. "So now I have nothing to prove her crimes to Bogo, and I can't even protect the citizens of Zootopia from her anymore."

 _Always thinking of others first._  Nick smiled for the first time since arriving in town that morning. He felt a momentary urge to press upon what she had found. The thought was erased just as quickly as he realized it was not the right place, nor even remotely the right time to be asking such questions. Judy needed someone to be there for her, and Nick would make sure of that. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two very familiar epaulets.

"I think you may have dropped these," he said, holding them out to Judy. Seeing her nose beginning to twitch, as well as a tremor shoot through her body, he quickly added, "I know you said that you are no longer a Capitán, however..." He took one of Judy's paws in his own, and placed the rank insignia in her paw, closing her fingers around them. "The people of Zootopia know different,  _your_  soldiers know different, and  _I_  know different."

Judy sniffled once and wiped at her eyes as a small smile darted across her face. The next words came from Nick's heart before his mouth could halt them.

"And you will always be my Capitán, Judy Hopps." Leaning forward, he placed a kiss upon her forehead, in between her ears, feeling a pleasure-filled shudder flowing through her body at the touch of his lips.

* * *

"And you will always be my Capitán, Judy Hopps."

Judy's mind was already in a fog, thanks to the long evening before, the night of tears and the bottle provided her by Weidii. Nick's words only thickened the haze with the flurry of emotions it brought. Hope, distress, love, pain...they swirled in her mind as he leaned forward. What the fox didn't see was how she closed her eyes as he approached, arching upwards, hoping to catch his lips with hers. She winced at a pang of disappointment when his muzzle slipped past her lips, and he gently lay his kiss between her ears.

With what happened next, she couldn't say what prompted her. Her own feelings, liquid courage or just the emotions from the previous night overwhelming her. No matter what it came from, the results were positively electric for her.

 _He missed..._ a voice in her mind stated bluntly.  _You need to fix that_. You can at least fix that, right?

 _I can fix that..._ Judy thought with a grin.

Judy's paws reached out as Nick leaned back. Gripping her paws around the cusp of his jacket, she pulled the startled fox forward until her lips crashed against his like waves breaking against shoal. She felt her emotions churning and bubbling, her mind awash in a sensation of soaring as she kissed Nick.

Then, the unexpected happened...he kissed her back.

* * *

A growl issued from Nick's throat as the fox pushed forward, his own side of the kiss growing as they both pressed in against each other. The scent of Judy filled Nick's mind with an explosive sense of euphoria, wanting him to deepen the kiss, and then some. He let out a startled yelp, breaking the kiss for a moment as Judy shoved him onto the bed. She sat above him, positioned on his chest, her eyes leveled at his own. Those amethyst jewels twinkled in the early morning sun, while the rays of light filtering through the window bathed her in a heavenly glow.

It was Judy's turn to be stunned, her ears shooting up in surprise when Nick reached up and pulled her towards him, reuniting their kiss in a display that even surpassed the euphoria of the fabled couple of Westpawly and Princess Butterfluff. Minutes passed in bliss between the two, the pair eventually halting the fevered kisses and instead wrapping themselves around each other. Nick held Judy close within his arms, tightly against his chest while Judy, who had found Nick's shirt suddenly missing its top two buttons, snuggled into his creamy fur, relishing in the warmth it provided.

"Thank you," she whispered, snuggling closer to the Don.

"You're welcome," he replied, his words a soothing balm to her troubled and hazy mind. His paw tenderly stroked her long ears, and he savored how Judy snuggled closer to him at his touch.

Together, the pair slowly drifted off to sleep. The rest a grateful distraction from the events which, thanks to the embrace they were in now, felt like long years past.

* * *

Judy awoke slowly. Eyelids fluttering open and awash with a new sensation of warmth. First she noticed the steady, rhythmic breathing next to her ears, as well as a tickling sensation of wind flowing over them. The next thing she noticed was the contrast of russet and cream fur at odds with a black jacket she was currently snuggling into.

"Good afternoon,  _Señorita_ ," she heard from a familiar voice. "Sleep well?"

Not even jostled in the least bit by her position, the feeling of happiness overcoming all else at the moment, Judy simply nodded. Even the slight twinge of a headache from what must have been a hangover couldn't deter her from a positive thought. "Very..." she cooed. Blinking several times, she now felt herself wide awake. "Wait, afternoon?" she now said in a shocked voice. Pushing herself away from Nick, albeit with a most vehement protest within her mind at the movement, her eyes darted around the room. "My troops are..."

Her statement died on her lips as the memories of the preceding evening flew into her mind. Her ears, which had shot up in surprise, were now lowered just as quickly. Her shoulders slumped, a weight that should have been upon them now hauntingly gone.

"Oh no..." she heard Nick say from behind her as the bed rustled. "I will not allow you to go back to that place of  _tristeza_ and  _desesperación_." The feeling of two arms wrapping themselves around her assuaged her sudden fears. "Besides, I have a big night planned ahead for us that I do not think you would want to miss."

"What do you mean?" Judy said, her paws already wrapping around Nick's that were holding her tightly. She wanted to look up at the fox holding her, but instead her gaze went around the room. She noticed a rather large glass of water, two plates of tamales and a paw-written note on the nearby desk.

"Have you already forgotten?" Nick said with faux surprise, the rumbling from a deep-throated laugh within his chest showing otherwise. "You and I have a ball to attend tonight."

_A ball? What ball...oh. THAT ball..._

Judy felt a blush creeping up her ears. She had completely forgotten about the masquerade that Nick had asked her out to. Instantly, a frown came upon her lips.

"I have no dress worthy of such an occasion," she replied morosely. "Nor do I believe that an elegant ball is a suitable place for a disgraced Capitán."

"Nonsense!" Nick jeered, turning the bunny around on his lap so he could look into her eyes. "There is no place I'd rather have you be than at my side tonight." His eyes narrowed while a playful smirk remained on his lips. "And I will not accept no for an answer, no?"

Now feeling a soft smile adorning her face, Judy couldn't help but now feel a bit of excitement for the day. She couldn't place why she felt this way.  _But then again_ , her mind reminded her,  _just enjoy the night for once._

"I guess I should probably find a dress?" Judy remarked, earning an even broader grin from the fox.

"I guess you should!" he exclaimed. "If not for a certain fox who had already thought this through for a certain bunny who never took time off to search for one."

Black-tipped ears perked up as Judy's eyes widened. "Wait...are you saying-"

His nod was all that she needed as a mirthful squeak escaped her lips. She felt herself positively overflowing with excitement, the previous night entirely forgotten in her joy at what Nick had accomplished.

"Weidii will help you as she has graciously helped me in finding a suitable gown that could possibly match your beauty. But first, she has made us some of her famous breakfast tamales, and it would be a sin to let them go to waste, no?"

Hearing an aptly timed grumble from Judy's stomach, the two laughed before moving from the bed, and paw in paw, walking towards the table.

The two chatted over their breakfast. Nick was grateful to hear the happiness back in Judy's voice, while Judy was filled with gratitude towards her friend.  _Or is it something else now?_  she wondered. She couldn't remember much of what happened since Weidii gave her that bottle last night, though waking up in the arms of the fox munching on his tamale next to her was positively delightful, so she wouldn't complain.

Some things just felt right.

As they finished, the two grabbed their plates and headed downstairs together, with Nick describing what would be happening at the masquerade he was hosting as well as how it was also a charity event he hosted for the poor of the city. Every year, he'd invite the entire town to come and join in the celebration. Whether rich or poor, he opened the doors of his villa to them all. The previous week his servants, and himself when he could spare the time, were toiling to transform the massive front yard of his lands into an area suitable for a party of this magnitude.

Judy was so enraptured by how Nick described the event, especially after he mentioned how the donations from the other Dons invited would go to help orphaned kits in the city, that she failed to see a smiling Weidii leaning against a pillar as they walked past the margay.

Weidii watched as Nick bowed deeply in front of Judy near the door, his smile as broad as the horizon as he bid his farewell to her, promising that he'd see her that evening but had to prepare his home for the party. Judy nodded, smiling as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss upon his cheek. The margay watched Nick leave, the memory of the last time she had seen that smile burning within her memory.

"I don't know what you've done to him," Weidii exclaimed as she smiled towards Judy. "But I haven't seen him smile like that since he lost Skye. Thank you, Judy."

For a moment, Judy appeared happy at the statement, though that sentiment quickly morphed from happiness, to a sudden realization, horror, sadness...even a hint of anger. Her mind sobered up quickly from her hangover as the clues from conversations with Nick and Zorro clicked in her mind.

_Capitan Skye is Nick's fiancee…?_

Weidii was surprised when Judy ran up to her and gripped her larger paws within her own, the bunny's trembling ears and misty eyes hinting her discomfort. The feline felt trapped within the rabbit's gaze, a surprising turn of events for the predator to feel like prey.

"Weidii," Judy exclaimed, her voice flooded with so many emotions it was hard to choose which one ruled the rabbits tone. "Please tell me everything you know about Don Wilde and Capitán Skye."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Oops...my hand slipped and sent out the fluff a day early. How can anyone ever forgive me *snickers*. So, lots of stuff in this chapter. Hints about Nick's mother, Judy finding out who Skye is to Nick, the reader finding out that 7 out of 10 bunnies prefer Jack Savage Whiskey above all others, Nick and Judy are hopelessly romantic and fluff is good. :D Next chapter, the ball and more wonderful artwork drawn by yasminoliveira534 over on tumblr! :D


	29. To Have a Fox, or Lose a Fox?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by Euphonemes  
> Artwork by yasminoliveira534 over on tumblr

At the end of their talk nearly an hour later, an apologetic Weidii excused herself. The margay glanced back at the sullen bunny, frowning at the news she had given the poor mammal. Without another word, Weidii slipped out the door and into the hallway, the only sound the click of the door shutting. The feline paused in the corridor and placed a paw over her heart. She could tell from their conversation that what she had told the bunny had been rough on her. Though she had been surprised as well at how Judy hadn't even let a tear stain her cheeks throughout the telling of the tale of Don Wilde and Capitán Skye.

To Weidii, it was one of the most heart-wrenching tales. Heartache from a missing love, never knowing  _why_ she disappeared, just that she  _had_. Nicholas had been a near-constant guest in her tavern for a month after Skye had disappeared, drowning his sorrows in the morning after avenging his unrequited love during the night.

And now, Judy knew what she was getting into with Don Nicholas de la Wilde.

_I'm sorry Judy, but you asked and now you know...hopefully you won't let this get to you. I haven't seen Nick this happy in such a long time._

When the door clicked behind the feline, Judy was finally left with only her thoughts. The talk with Weidii had distracted her from her own sorrows though had the intended effect the feline had hoped for. All Judy could think about now was Nick. To finally find the love of your life, only to have them disappear without a trace? The pain that Nick must feel tore through her heart like a heated knife.

 _Like his life couldn't have gotten any worse after he thought he was in heaven..._. She suddenly felt the emptiness of the room as she glanced around, the only comfort coming from Nick's lingering scent from the bed they had shared.  _Now how can I help him, knowing what I know and what I found from Bellwether's journals._ Slipping off the bed, she paced throughout the room, paws clasped behind her back as she tried to strategize a way to help Nick.

Even if that did mean that she'd be helping Nick find his missing fiancée. Dread creeped upon her at the thought.

_Do you want him to find her again? Or do you want Nick all to yourself? You can't have both..._

The idea gave her pause. At first, it horrified her. She hated the very idea that she wouldn't help a mammal in need to benefit herself. But then again...

_Could I live with myself if I didn't help Nick? Even if it means...giving up my own happiness?_

She had come to realize when she woke up next to Nick that the fox had given her a level of joy she had never known. With the skills learned in the army, she felt rather safe at all times; however, the feeling of security she had while awakening in his arms, his scent overwhelming her, was more than anything in her life. Judy had always been a quick thinker, and there was only one reason why she would feel that way about waking up in the arms of a fox...

She was in  _love_  with Don Nicholas de la Wilde.

Sure, maybe the whiskey had helped in pushing her forward a little bit, but every bit of her hangover had vanished after that first kiss. The euphoria that spread through her body was tantamount to an overpowering drug...and one she craved as she thought of how tenderly he had kissed her, cared for her, and watched over her while she wept into his arms.

A silent smile slid across her face. One filled with overwhelming amounts of both joy and sadness. A part of her heart screamed at her, tried to convince her that her imminent decision was the wrong move. That the choice would bring her infinite and unimaginable sorrow and jeopardize her future with Don Wilde. The larger part of her heart, the one she listened to, reminded her what kind of friend she'd be to Nick if she didn't follow through on her promise to Zorro. She may have made a promise to a different fox, but Nick still deserved answers about his missing fiancée.

_To have a fox, or to lose a fox..._

"I know what I have to do," she whispered to her heart.

With that single thought, Judy shrugged off the blanket, put her  _bolero_ upon her head, pocketed her two epaulets and headed downstairs. A small smile crept upon her muzzle. She had a ball to attend.

* * *

It took a few hours for Nick to assemble all the arrangements for the party. With how many years he had hosted the gala, each of his servants knew exactly what they needed to do.

"Let's see...Rosalita has the floral arrangements..." he mused as he passed a jaguar pushing a wheelbarrow of potted plants. Nick smiled as he spotted a vixen in the distance, very noticeable by the tuft of blue-dyed fur on her head. "Looks like Carmelita has the candles and lamps going up."

Nick walked a complete circuit of his manor, double-checking that every facet of the event was going according to plan. The kitchen staff was busy whipping up a delectable feast suitable for Emperor Napawleon of Furance. Nick snickered at the thought of the pygmy goat, his paw in his pocket and oversized hat tipped awkwardly over his horns, suddenly appearing at his masquerade.

"Stranger things have happened," he laughed to himself as he stood before his mirror in his room. He smiled as he looked over his outfit once more. The green jacket and pants he chose for the occasion, their gold trim and black lapel and sash, were absolutely perfect for the occasion. Turning this way and that, he wondered what Judy would think of it when she saw him.

The fox flinched as recognition dawned on him. Turning, he spotted the time on the massive grandfather clock standing in the corner of the room.

" _Ay caramba_..." Nick groaned. "Past four and I have yet to pick up Judy." Double-checking his outfit one last time, Nick hurried towards the door, nearly running over Finnick in the process. Nick managed to catch himself, stumbling only slightly, but avoided toppling over the desert fox in his haste to leave the manor.

Judging by the expression on Finnick's face, the smaller mammal was just  _slightly_ annoyed. Maybe...

"Yes Finnick, what is the matter?" the red fox asked as he began walking down the hall. Finnick matched his pace and signed his reply. Nick nodded. "Good. So Gideon will be able to play the part we need him to tonight?"

Finnick nodded, then began signing again. Nick watched with rapt attention until his friend finished.

"Yes, Capitán Hopps will be here tonight."

Nick frowned as the smaller fox grinned, then made a quick kissing face.

"No...that isn't the reason why," Nick said with a grimace while folding his arms across his chest. "As I said before, while I do have feelings for Judy..."

He halted when Finnick grinned even wider at him. The Don stopped completely, his foot thumping against the floor several times before he halted the motion as Finnick pointed and grinned even wider.

"... _Capitán_  Hopps," Nick corrected. "It would be improper of me to display too much of the feelings I have for her. I will not treat her as a kissing post. Only with the respect and dignity a  _señorita_ of her beauty and heart deserves."

While Nick was talking, he couldn't help but grow slightly irritated at the now silently snickering fox standing before him. His ears lowered in embarrassment when the smaller fox motioned to his left paw, pointing at his ring finger while grinning and swishing his tail back and forth.

"Really, that song, Finnick?" Nick breathed in irritation. "I like her, but I'm not about to put a ring on her finger. And I can't believe you're a fan of Beyaxee."

The Finnick frowned, glared at Nick, then again pointed at his finger before angrily pointing to the ground.

"To...tonight?" Nick gulped, taking a step back. "You want me to do that  _tonight_?"

The nod from the small fox, accompanied by a grin, was all the answer Nick needed. The red fox shook his head.

"No...it's too soon, Finnick, and she just lost her dream job and  _yeowch_!"

Nick grabbed his knee, which had just taken a punch from the smaller mammal.

"Fine, I'll think about it!" Nick groaned while rubbing his tender leg. The fennec fox huffed, throwing his paws into the air before storming off. Nick watched him go, sighing as the desert fox disappeared down another hall. "It isn't as easy as you'd want it to be, Finnick," Nick said to himself.  _Especially with the events of this morning._

Nick found himself sighing again, which simply frustrated him further. He made his way downstairs and to an outbuilding, his mind lost in his thoughts as he travelled. He had already experienced such emotional highs and lows that day, and was sure more were to come.  _That's what I get for falling for Capitáns..._ he thought with a wry smile, one which quickly vanished under a veil of guilt.

The remembrance of Judy's lips pressed against his own spread warmth through his body, though he chilled as he recognized that Judy hadn't been entirely in her right mind at the time.  _Did I take advantage of her this morning?_  he asked himself. She had clung to an empty liquor bottle, and even though he nearly slipped in a rather large puddle of whiskey dripping from the desk when he'd entered, he knew a sloshed bunny when he saw one.

Nick was no stranger to the bottle. After Skye's disappearance, if he wasn't out causing strife with the local Capitáns as revenge for her disappearance, he could be found in Weidii's bar, nursing a bottle of whiskey very similar to Judy’s. He knew the liquid courage that could be found within, and that repressed feelings could be liberated with enough of the stuff. Judy had been helping herself quite liberally to the bottle’s contents, Nick had judged. And she had lost her dream job...she had told him during one of their walks about how hard she had worked  for almost her whole  life to be a _capitán_. To have it taken away so cruelly...Nick suddenly felt more guilt about letting his passion overwhelm his thoughts with an inebriated Judy.Again, the question prodded his thoughts:  _Did I take advantage of her?_

He shook his head. It was a question he'd have to ask her. He could not answer it truthfully himself. He  _hoped_  that it wasn't just the bottle guiding her actions. He  _pined,_ wanting to know if his feelings were returned.

But most of all, he thought back to his actions after his morning visit with Judy. He'd gone straight to his room and wept in front of the picture of Skye and himself. The two smiling foxes looking down upon a sobbing Nicholas. Then, in the hardest move of his life...

...he had taken down the painting.

 _Finnick is right. It is time to move on._..Nick thought to himself as he reached his destination. It still didn't stop the one tear from running through his fur. Wiping it away, he opened the wide double doors to the outbuilding and put on a fresh smile, hoping it would transfer into a lifting of his mood. The green and gold pedal cart sat before him. Running his paw along the sleek, mahogany finish, he thought back, one last time, to the arctic vixen whom he had shared so many memories within the carriage .

Now, as he hopped inside, pulled up on the brake lever and began pedaling it out into the sun, his thoughts turned to the grey rabbit with violet eyes who would soon sit next to him.

* * *

Judy stood still as Weidii helped her pull the violet dress over her ears and arms before adjusting it over her shoulders.

"Do you think he'll like this?" Judy asked tepidly, fingers fiddling with the dropped shoulder sleeves made from a delicate black lace. She had never worn anything so risqué back home and felt a little embarrassed by showing off her entire shoulder _. As well as a healthy dose of my chest..._ she thought, eyeing her sweetheart neckline. "Are you sure I should wear this?" Judy repeated. "I think we still have time to go for something with more fabric and..."

"Look, you love this fox, don't you?" Weidii interrupted.

"...yes," Judy shyly replied.

"You want to hold him?"

"Yes..." Judy answered, feeling suddenly pressured by the force in the margay's words.

"Please him?"

"Yes!" Judy shouted in exasperation.

"Then you got to,  _got to_ , try a little shoulder-less dress. I know Nick loves that type of clothing on a beautiful lady."

"Really?"

Weidii huffed. "Are you serious? Have you ever dated someone like Nick before?"

Judy blanched under her fur. "I haven't...but I don't see how-"

"Look," the margay placed her paws upon Judy's shoulders. "I know Nicholas better than the back of my paw, and I know he loves you. He just needs a large push to finally understand those feelings...especially after Skye."

"But..."

"No 'buts', Judy!" Weidii commanded. "I can tell that among Capitáns, you are one of the best I've ever seen. But you are clueless when it comes to love. Skye  _left_  Nick and he needs to get over that. And if you wearing this dress does that for him, then you will be the stunning rabbit that hides herself under all those layers of your uniform."

Judy was silent for a moment, staring down at the floor. "Can I...at least bring my sword?"

The groan of frustration from Weiidii was probably heard from a mile away, as well as the startled yelp from Judy as the margay tightened the cinch of her dress around the bunny's waist.

* * *

Nick suppressed a grin as he saw the open door to Judy's room. After arriving and spying nobody else in the pub, he made his way upstairs to find his date for the evening. Hearing voices from the room, he slowed his pace as he walked towards the door, careful not to step on any creaking boards so as to sneak up on his date for the evening.  _I hope she likes these flowers_...he thought as he turned the corner, a whisper of a greeting on his lips before all rational thoughts stopped.

Nick's mouth dropped open as he stared at the image in front of him, all words lost at what he saw.

Behind a thin screen placed neatly in the center of the room were two figures. The sunlight filtering in through the window backlit their silhouettes perfectly, as well as blocking him from their view.

"Oh Judy, you are going to knock Nick's socks off with this dress," Weidii gushed as her feline figure walked around the bunny's shadow projected against the room divider. The sleek design of the dress was evident to the fox by the way it hugged Judy's slim figure, and her natural beauty outlined whatever Weidii had outfitted for her.

"Thank you, I...I hope Nick likes it." Said fox listened to Judy as she twirled once.

_If her shadow is that captivating...how does the rest of her...look..._

Rational thoughts ceased as he saw the two shadows cross the length of the divider. Nick couldn't even move his feet in an attempt to hide or leave the room as they rounded the screen, so numbed at the sight.

"Nick?" he heard Judy nervously say.

"How long were you there, Nicholas?" came from a much more annoyed Weidii.

"Uh...um..." Nick smacked his lips, feeling his mouth suddenly become quite dry as he finally looked at Judy's outfit. The sleeveless, violet dress did indeed hug the bunny's curves all too well. The sheer fabric laced over her shoulders added even more feminine charm to the doe, who was absolutely radiating beauty standing in the bright sunlight. "I...was here...um...wow..."

Judy giggled at the stunned fox standing there with his mouth hanging open. The burning sensation running through her ears showed her embarrassment.  _How long was he there? Sweet cheese and crackers...what did he see?_  The blush deepened as she tried to hide it by smoothing down her ears against her back.

"Señor Wilde, do you normally make a habit of watching a Señorita change?" Judy asked. She was pleased to see that he was still dumbstruck, his eyes wandering over the dress she wore just as her eyes travelled over his own vestments. His deep green jacket was outlined by a gold filigree while the black sash tied around his waist complimented the rest of the colors.

"Sorry..." Nick replied as he forced his eyes to stop roving over the grey rabbit's' body.  _She is such an image of beauty right now..._ he thought. He saw Judy's blush in her cheeks deepen as a pleased grin spread across her face.

"Yes, she is an image of beauty, Nick. Now stop staring," Weidii commanded from across the room. Her folded arms and harsh tone was betrayed by the snarky grin she wore.

"Did I say that out loud?" Nick whispered, ears shooting up in panic. When the margay nodded, his eyes darted back to the bunny standing before him.

"You look quite the dashing  _hildalgo_  yourself, Don Wilde," Judy replied, once again giving his outfit a once-over. "The colors really match your eyes and fur."

"As well your dress matches your own," Nick replied instantly. Recouping himself from his earlier embarrassment at being caught, he pressed forward and placed a kiss upon Judy's paw.

"You're quite poor with your aim today," Judy laughed. "After this morning, I had expected you'd know where to place those." She pointed up at his muzzle, grinning to hide her mortification at being so forward.

 _Why are you doing this?_  her mind yelled at her.  _You know what you've decided to do and you can't get attached to him further! It will only break your hear-_

The voice in her mind suddenly found itself bound and gagged by the feelings in her heart as they overpowered any reasoning an logic.

"Are you sure?" Nick stammered. His heart was racing as he realized where Judy was going with this. "I didn't know since this morning...and the bottle that..."

He was cut off by Judy pulling him down into a kiss, one just as passionate as that morning's. As they pulled apart, Nick could only focus on wanting more of what he just tasted.

"I know you are the perfect gentle-mammal, Nick," Judy began as she pulled away further, but not before clasping his paw in her own. "I also have done some poking and prodding and now know your big secret."

"You do?" Nick gulped.  _Not good...not good...NOT...GOOD!_

She pulled him down slowly by his white cravat, her eyes not leaving his own for a moment. "I...know...you...are..." she left off her sentence as they stared into each other's eyes, muzzle to muzzle and so close they could nearly taste each other's lips.

 _Oh no...oh no..don't say it!_  Nick thought, preparing for the worst.

 _"...enraptured_...by me."

After several seconds, Nick felt an immense weight slide off his shoulders. All at once, his snarky wit returned full force as he realized she still didn't know his  _larger_  secret.

"Oh, is that so?" he replied, a grin plastering itself upon his lips. "And pray tell how you figured that out, no?"

The smirk Judy had was far better than the one he held. "You just did it for me."

Nick blinked.

Then blinked again.

"What?"

Judy tried, but failed, to stifle a giggle as she placed a kiss at the edge of his nose, watching in amusement as it crinkled several times, like her own nose would when flustered. "You just said,  _how_ , I figured it out."

Her words drifted slowly into his mind before a lazy smile came upon his lips. " _You_...are a clever bunny."

Judy smiled. "It's called a hustle, Cariño."

"I don't care what it's called," Weidii called from the other side of the room as she approached them. The margay herself was in quite a dashing white flamenco dress that lay off her shoulders. The orange and red accents highlighted the dress, and the way she sashayed about the room had Nick blinking. Weidii snapped her fingers in front of the fox's face. " _Deja de mirarme_!" she shouted, then pointed towards Judy.

"Apologies, Weidii," Nick said swiftly. "I saw the dress and wondered what Judy would look like in it."

There was a long pause before the feline smirked. "Good answer. Now come on, I don't want to be late for this gala." The feline waltzed past the fox and rabbit and out the door. "Are you coming or not?" she yelled. "I can leave you two alone in here if you'd like for the night. Put up a "We're Closed" sign, perhaps?"

Both fox and rabbit's ears shot up. With a quick look at each other, both noting the heavy blushes under their fur, even through the red tone of Nick's, the two grabbed each other's paws and rushed out of the room after the feline.

Nick noted the smirking feline in the hallway. "About time...and Nick, I'm driving. I want to see you two cuddling in the backseat all the way to the Masquerade."

"Works for me."

Both rabbit and fox looked at each other in stunned silence when they realized they had both said the same thing. Weidii rolled her eyes. "You guys are disgusting together."

"Hey!" both shouted in unison, earning another cackle from the margay.  _Oh boy..._ she thought as she walked down the stairs.  _This is going to be a night to remember._

 


	30. Masquerade Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by Euphonemes
> 
> For the tango scene in this story, the song that is played is called La Cumparsita. I know it wasn't written until 1917, however, I like the song too much and this is my AU so there! XD
> 
> Also, special thanks to Koraru-san for allowing me to use Eliot and Chloe Fanghanel. I hope you enjoy them in here! :D
> 
> Yasmin Oliveira AND KungFuFreak07 have both worked on an artwork for this chapter, so check it out over on my Deviantart page. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please let them know. :D

An air of nervous anticipation hung between the two mammals as the magnificent pedal powered vehicle traveled towards its destination. Judy had already marveled at the device when the fox had led her outside Weidii's inn. As soon as she saw the vehicle, she ran towards it, running her paw over the sleek wooden finish that was as smooth as silk. Not minding the chuckling behind her, she jumped up onto the step board with a finesse that most mammals could only envy then leapt gracefully into the vehicle.

Though to be fair, the fox did stare at the lithe bunny jumping into the vehicle, his jaw nearly dropping as her dress fluttered up to show her toned calves, though thankfully didn't go past her knees. He tugged at his collar, suddenly feeling quite warm as his mind began to wander up and...

 _Stop it Wilde!_  Nick was about to slap himself to get his mind under control when a sharp cry of joy caught his attention.

Looking up, he saw Judy with her mouth open, paws placed over them and the happiest look in her eyes.

"This is a  _Molesmobile?"_ Judy squealed in delight. "They are the leading carriage makers in the world Nicholas! How did you even manage to purchase one and transfer it over from Moowaukee to here? Especially a custom-made one like this?"

Nick laughed, ready to answer when Judy gasped and jumped over the seat, opening a compartment on the back, revealing a hidden rumble seat.

It took several minutes for Judy to explore the vehicle in its most minute detail. Everything from the softness of the upholstery to the polished finish of the lacquered wood didn't go unnoticed. Even the large watch built into the paneling behind the wheel elicited a new gasp that was music to Nick's ears.

"Nick, this is so amazing!" she said finally turning towards him. "I can't believe you have one of these and... _what?_ "

Nick was laughing deeply now, covering his muzzle with his paw as best he could. It wasn't until Judy realized that she had literally been bouncing around his car like a...well, sugar-crazed kit...that her ears flopped behind her, their insides turning a bright pink.

Judy rubbed her shoulder nervously, realizing just how much fur she was showing. Wrapping both paws around herself, she sunk into the seat until she nearly disappeared from view.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I have read about these and...I shouldn't have acted like a dumb bunny."

"It's alright mi amor," Nick replied, grinning when he saw her ears shoot up at the affectionate title and tone he used. He walked towards her as she raised her head over the side, both pairs of eyes meeting in a loving gaze. Nick gently placed a paw under her chin, his thumb tenderly massaging her cheek. Judy hummed, leaning into his paw until she felt his lips connect with hers. Instantly, she was pulled into the kiss, the world forgotten and mind slowed by the blissful feelings of love and affection towards him at that moment.

It ended too quickly for either of them; Judy leaned towards him as they broke apart. But Nick had one more surprise for Judy.

"Would you care to drive?" he asked with a sly smile and wink.

A squeal of pure ecstasy tore through the early evening air of Zootopia.

_"YES!"_

Weidii winced at the shrill cry of joy from the bunny, though she chuckled to herself at how Judy was bouncing up and down in anticipation of driving the buggy.

 _If she is this excited about driving an overpriced cart, I wonder how she'd take Nicholas proposing to her._  The thought had her snickering out loud as she watched the fox recover from Judy's outburst.

Nick walked around to the other side of the vehicle then hopped inside. He offered a brief explanation of how to pedal the vehicle and steer it where she wanted to go. Judy nodded and hung off of every word.

"Are you ready to drive, Señorita Hopps?'

She nodded once, her excitement palpable in the air around them. "Absolutely."

"Alright then," Nick turned to where Weidii was leaning against a pole. "Are you coming?" Nick patted the rumble seat in the back, waggling his eyebrows.

Weidii shook her head, remembering the last time she had sat in the extra seat. "Beats walking though," she told herself as she walked over to the vehicle. Just as she was sitting down, she fell into the seat as the vehicle jerked forward. Muttering a quick curse, she rearranged herself in the seat as Judy Hopps tore through the streets of Zootopia like a mad-mammal.

**Page Break**

Nick's legs wobbled as he shuffled from the sideboard of the car to the ground, grasping the car for support. He shook his head at the energetic bunny still bouncing in the driver's seat.

"Carrots, I don't know how we managed to arrive here alive and well, but I think we should leave the driving to me, no?"

Judy tilted her head. "What was wrong with my driving?"

"Everything," an exasperated Weidii pronounced. Both fox and bunny turned to see the disheveled feline, fur standing on edge and whiskers twitching. Looking back at Nick, Judy saw the fox point his thumb towards the margay and nod in agreement.

"What she said," he replied.

"It wasn't that bad," Judy shot back with a huff, folding her paws across her chest. "I didn't hit anything or anyone on the way here, so why the fuss?"

Nick raised his paw, readying a retort before second-guessing his decision. Instead, he dropped his arm and walked around to the side of the pedal-carriage and offered the rabbit his arm. Smiling, Judy took it, hopping out of the cart with a giggle.

"Such a gentlefox."

"Always for you," Nick replied to the blushing bunny. "Now, before we enjoy the evening, there is one last thing we both need." Reaching across Judy, the fox flipped open a compartment nestled in the front board. With the height of the carriage blocking her view, all Judy could do was wait in nervous anticipation.

"Now, close your eyes."

Judy let out a low whine. " _Niiick..._ "

"Please?" he asked with a grin.

"Fine..." Judy drawled.

"Now, put out your paws." Judy did as asked and put her paws out in front of her. A moment later she felt a light weight placed upon them.

"Okay, open your eyes and see the final part of your outfit."

As instructed, Judy opened her eyes and couldn't contain her gasp. There in her paws lay an intricately designed, paw-crafted platinum colored mask with golden trim. Rubbing a paw over the fabric, she noticed the finely stitched lace that ran around the outline of the mask.

"Oh Nick...this is beautiful."

"The grey reminded me of your fur color while the gold reminded me of the purity of your heart," Nick said after a while of Judy admiring it.

Judy felt the sudden urge to let Nick know how much she appreciated the gift by kissing him senseless, but she somehow managed to restrain herself. Instead, she opted to place a chaste kiss upon his cheek.

"Thank you," she supplied, still marveling over the gift. "Though if this is a masquerade, then what will you be wearing?"

"Me?" Nick chuckled and produced a nearly identical mask, though instead of a light grey, his was jet black with golden trim. "I figured I'd have a color that matches the night. Something mysterious yet tantalizing for the mysteries that hide behind it..."

Judy grinned, folding her arms across her chest. "Are you sure it isn't because it matches your tail?"

The short burst of laughter from Nick preceded her answer. "Yes, that was actually the reason why," he snickered. "I just thought the other reason sounded better."

"Well then," Judy waltzed forward with as sultry a gaze as possible. Her tactic worked as Nick's eyes were completely focused upon the bunny leaning into his chest. "I guess if it is a reminder of you then...I should have it."

With a quick snatch, Judy took Nick's mask out of his paw and replaced it with hers.

"What, why?" Nick stammered, stunned at what Judy had done. "I thought you loved the mask?"

"I do," she replied, hugging the black and gold mask to her chest. "However, with all the mammals at the party, if we happen to become separated, I wouldn't mind having something to remind me of you at all times." Her ears began to droop behind her as she sheepishly added. "And wouldn't mind knowing you carried a token of me as well."

The fear retreated from Nick's mind, and love blossomed in its wake. Kneeling, he cupped Judy's paws in one of his. "Judy Hopps, I would be honored to." With his other paw, he affixed his new mask. Grinning, he reached forward and took his black mask from Judy's paw and placed it upon the rabbit. His paw intentionally slipped from the mask and caressed her cheek. Just as they began leaning forward, eyes closing as the distance shrank between their lips, a loud 'ahem' startled them from their  _almost_ -kiss.

"So, now that I've had enough sweetness to last me several days, we get to the party, no?" Weidii growled. Despite her tone, her amused smile wasn't lost to either mammal. Both of them frowned at knowing the feline had purposely interrupted their moment.

 _Don't think I'll let you off the hook for that Weidii..._ Judy thought, her mind already devising ways to get back at the margay for her interruption.

"Let us be off then," Nick said with a wave of his paw. Clasping Judy's paw, he led the group up towards his mansion as one of Nick's servants went to move the car back into the carriage house.

The threesome approached the manor, and the sound of music swelled as they neared. Nick led them around the side of the home as Judy marveled at the decorations placed everywhere.

"Isn't it inside?" she asked. From her very limited experience, most balls and fancy masquerades were held inside.

"Inside a stuffy mansion?" Nick laughed and shook his head. "It would do no good to hold a dance in that repressive environment. No...tonight's festivities are outside." Timing his comments perfectly, the three rounded the outside of the manor and were greeted by a wave of sound and wonder. Candles hanging beneath delicate paper balloons floated above trellises decorated with ivy and roses. The side yard of the Wilde estate had been transformed into a wonderland of light and beauty. Dozens upon dozens of mammals were already in attendance, milling about and speaking with one another.

"Why hold a party inside, when outside is far more beautiful, no?"

Judy couldn't help but nod her head in agreement as she began again to walk forward while admiring her surroundings. A stage just off the veranda created the music, a band playing a soft classical song.  _Goatzart_ , Judy recognized as she turned to take in more of the party. Many mammals ambling about or speaking in small groups were ones she recognized from her patrols around town while others, like the white wolf speed-walking towards them...

"Nick! How have you been?!"

The fox turned to the sound of the voice as a white blur rushed in front of Judy and then grabbed the fox, lifting him into a massive bear hug.

"Missed you too, Don Fanghanel," Nick replied, groaning at how tightly the wolf was squeezing him. "Now please put me down."

"No. I haven't finished hugging my favorite fox yet," the Don replied.

"Eliot, put him down, please."

The white wolf's ears perked and a goofy smile etched itself onto his muzzle.

"Anything for you, Pumpkin."

Nick was dropped instantly, and he would have landed on his tail had Judy not caught him. Turning towards the second voice, while trying to ignore the creeping blush from how close hers and Nick's lips were, Judy noticed a graceful and elegantly dressed Tasmanian tiger approaching them. Judy smiled as the white wolf bounded over to mammal's side, a pleasurable grin upon his muzzle as he tenderly pulled her paw up to place a kiss upon it.

"Don Wilde, it is a pleasure to meet you once more, albeit under less awkward circumstances." She flashed a glance at the wolf who grinned nervously.

"Señora Fanghanel, always a pleasure," Nick greeted. Bowing low, he also took her paw, but at the low growl from the wolf, refrained from the accompanying kiss. "And Don Fanghanel. Seems you are as active in your love of Chloe here as always."

"You can't have her, Nicholas," the canine replied, hugging his wife close as she rolled her eyes and patted his chest.

Nick shook his head. "I'm not in the market for that."

Eliot let out a sigh. "Nick, every time I see you, I've told you that you can't keep pining away for...her..." The wolf's monologue tapered off as he noticed Nick's arm wrap around the previously unnoticed Judy.

"Wait. Do you mean?"

Nick nodded, sparing a glance downwards to shoot Judy a loving, tender smile. One the rabbit reciprocated along with a squeeze of his paw.

Both fox and rabbit suddenly found themselves enveloped in a massive hug, both crushed as a massive ' _Awwwww'_  filled the garden area.

"I think Sergeant Clawhauser has a rival for hugs," Judy gasped, both at the suddenness of the wolf's hug and how she was being pressed into Nick's chest. She definitely enjoyed the close contact, but the crushing hug dampened the mood.

"Eliot!  _Lobo Malo_! Put them down! Softly this time!"

The two mammals were lowered to the ground, though that didn't stop the excitable Don. "Oh, when did this happen! How did you manage to woo her? You two look so cute together!" Judy brandished a frown at that statement but did not interrupt the Don. "When is the marriage date? Can I be your best mammal? Can I-"

Eliot let out a yelp as his wife pulled him away from Nick and Judy. "It was a pleasure meeting you again, Nicholas, and you..."

"Capit..." Judy began with pride before, with shoulders slightly slumping, finished with, "Judy Hopps, Señora."

The Tasmanian tiger smiled. "That is a lovely name for a beautiful bunny. You surely outshine Nicholas in every way."

Judy managed to giggle as Nick huffed, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement at the statement.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have a wolf I need to teach some manners."

As the Don and his wife walked off towards a secluded table, the wolf apologizing the entire way, Judy leaned towards Nick. "So...who were they?"

"Don Eliot Fanghanel and his wife, Señora Chloe. They live a few miles to the north of Zootopia but rarely come into the city," Nick replied. "I've known Eliot since we were children."

"They seem nice," Judy exclaimed, laughing when she saw the wolf being chastised by his wife. With her excellent hearing, she could hear snippets of the conversation. "Though I wasn't expecting a Don to be so..."

"Excitable?"

"Yes, exactly."

Nick greeted Judy's warm smile with his own. The band was midway through a waltz, the music serenading the guests and bringing a warm feeling into her heart. She sighed as she leaned into Nick's side. "I like them."

"I'll invite them to dinner sometime," Nick offered. His gaze caught Judy's and he winked. "But only if a certain bunny I know would come as the guest of honor."

"I think I'd like that," she replied. The moment felt perfect. The rising moon cast a pale glow over the party while the music, which switched to a tango, was inviting and mesmerizing. Though at the moment, Judy couldn't help looking up into Nick's eyes. She saw him beginning to lean down, her eyes closing in expectation of a kiss as she raised up on her hind paws. To her surprise, their cheeks brushed as he whispered in her ear.

"Would you care to dance?" he whispered, his breath tickling the inside of her ear. She shuddered at the sensation.

 _Stupid, sly, handsome fox..._ she grumbled as he pulled away. She knew better than to acknowledge his taunt. With a grin, she slid a foot toward the dance floor. "Think you can keep up with a bunny?

"Is that a challenge?" came his reply. Pulling him down by his cravat, it was Judy's turn to torment her date for the night as she brushed  _her_ cheek against his and took the opportunity to whisper into his ear.

"Whoever leaves the other breathless gets a kiss." His eyes widened as Judy placed a kiss upon his cheek.

"Prepare to be kissed then, Señorita Hopps."

The two quickly made their way to the dance floor as the tango picked up its tempo. They took each other's paw, entwining their fingers of one paw while placing the other low on the other's back. Nick was impressed as he led Judy through several beginning steps, unsure of how skilled the rabbit officer was at dancing.

"You know, I don't think you know how to dance, Nick."

Her comment, laced with sauciness, struck right through his defenses and wounded his pride. The smirk she held as he dipped her had him form a growl deep within his throat.

_So you think you can dance, Judy? We'll see who's the better dancer..._

Nick was certain of victory as he pulled Judy from the dip, straight into a series of spins. Breaking from the spin, he pulled her flush against his body with both his paws coming to rest just above her tail. Leaning her backwards, he let his muzzle trace a line down her cheek as she turned her head to the side, relishing the moment. He smiled as Judy closed her eyes at the touch of his muzzle against her neck. He was grateful that she was enjoying the dance as much as he was. Pulling her closer as he brought her up from the dip, he led her into a series of walks and turns, trying his best to surprise the doe.

Yet to his own astonishment, not only was Judy keeping up with him, but she seemed to know ahead of time what he was planning. When he began a  _le caliceta_ , quickly circling the doe, she surprised him by spinning around completely within his own turn. Her dress billowed outwards, eliciting a series of  _oohs_  from the crowd of mammals watching the two dance.

As both mammals came to a halt, Judy ended up with her back pressed against his chest. Purring softly, Judy rubbed her shoulder into Nick's chest, sensually lowering herself down his front and pressing herself into him. She knew she was getting a response from him as his paws more tightly gripped her waist when she repeated the action going up. She felt his heartbeat quicken, but it wasn't until her tail flicked against him that he visibly stumbled.

Yet Judy expertly handled it by pulling him immediately into a  _planeos_ , spinning him around her until they were facing each other once more. Nick caught Judy's scent, his mind momentarily fluttering at the intoxicating aroma she was giving off. Just in the middle of closing his eyes, enjoying the distinct smell that was Judy, she caught him off guard as she pressed herself flush against his body, her left leg wrapped around his.

Judy listened as Nick's breath caught in his throat. Sliding her leg down his, she felt him rocking into her, a rumbling, possessive growl in his chest. Tipping her head back in time with the music, she gasped as she found herself suddenly nuzzled, Nick placing sensual kisses along her exposed throat.

Nick grinned as he felt the shudder flow through the bunny from his surprise kisses. As Judy raised her head once more, their gazes met. With the music's tempo quickening, he caught the flicker of desire in her eyes as their dance began anew.

Together the two twisted and turned, dancing to the rhythm while their bodies blended together as they danced across the floor. Each tried to outdo the other, yet their movements were harmonized nearly perfectly. Each press of her body into his was reciprocated by a paw inching its way down her back. Every time Nick twirled the bunny out, the billowing of her dress and the way she grinned devilishly at him left him mesmerized and wanting more. Their back-and-forth entranced the crowd as the hearts of fox and rabbit beat as one.

The song crescendoed. Nick pulled Judy into another series of spins, leading into a final dip as the finale neared. His lips again traced a line of kisses down her throat. Judy wrapped a paw around his neck, her other paw reaching for his chest as he pulled her up from the dip. She pulled herself closer into his body until his scent washed over her. It drove her feelings of love to a breaking point, and she was almost ready to drag him off the dance floor and to the nearest unoccupied room to kiss him blind.

Yet the dance pushed to its finale. The two continued, battling for supremacy as Nick led Judy into a series of deeper dips, tighter spins and faster steps until the world around them became a blur, their vision wholly fixated upon each other. It wasn't until he pulled her out of a spin and directly into a dip did either realize the music had finished with them. Both were breathing hard, lips mere inches from each other, their bodies in such harmony that they looked to be melded together as one mammal of red and grey.

"So..." Nick stated, trying hard not to pant as they heard a round of applause starting up for them, led by none other than Eliot who was also  _awoo'ing_ quite loudly, much to the embarrassment of his wife. "Breathless yet?"

Judy smiled. "I think I'd need another dance to decide that."

Nick shook his head as he brought her up, not letting her move an inch from him. "Sly bunny."

"Hot fox," she chirped back in reply.

"You're making me work for this kiss, you know that, right?"

Judy leaned into his chest, resting her head just under his muzzle. His scent was overpowering now and it took all her willpower to not drag him into a kiss right then and there. "It will just make it all the more special when it happens."

Thankfully, the next song was quite a bit slower, allowing both mammals a breather as they gently swayed to the music. Judy soon found Nick's paw gently massaging her long ears which had fallen against her back, while his tail curled protectively around the both of them. The song soon came to an end, albeit too quickly for either mammal. Judy brought her head off of Nick's chest when they stopped swaying.

"Would you care for a drink?"

She nodded. Nick led her to an empty table across from the band, and he sauntered off towards the refreshments area set up near a side entrance to his manor. Catching herself watching his tail lazily waving back and forth, she turned to see the other mammals enjoying the gala. She was only able to recognize a few mammals from town, as the masks they wore hid their faces quite well.

Judy finally found Weidii, sharing a table with who she guessed was Finnick. The margay was laughing as Finnick signed a rather odd series of gestures. A few tables down from them, she found Eliot and Chloe, their paws entwined across the table as they stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

 _I wonder if Nick and I would ever be like that?_  Judy wondered. She shook her head at the thought, but couldn't shake the smile from her face. More mammals entered the masquerade as she spotted Nick at the punch table, smiling and laughing with a lion couple that, though dressed rather rough, seemed to be quite friendly with the Don.  _Looks like he really does know everybody._

She spotted a few cheetah couples wandering about, a lovely antelope couple, two cougars that seemed to have had too much to drink, an alluring white furred vixen chatting it up with several male red foxes, then...

"Sergeant Clawhauser?"

The words left her mouth as she spotted the hefty cheetah in his uniform. Turning his head, he soon spotted the bunny staring at him.

"Oh...my...goodness!" he squealed in excitement. " _Capitán_  Hopps, you look positively divine!"

Judy smiled. "Thank you. Though not to seem rude, how are you here? The colors should have been taken down a half hour ago and—"

"Sergeant Clawhauser, how wonderful to see you, my friend!"

Turning, Judy saw Nick returning with two drinks in his paws, a wide smile on his muzzle as he greeted the cheetah. "I'm so glad you could come tonight. Is Valorie here with you?"

Clawhauser nodded. "She is indeed, though once she saw Weidii with Finnick she  _had_  to go over and say hello."

Nick found himself chuckling. "I think every secret Zootopia has to offer can be found with those two." The fox invited the cheetah to sit at their table before offering a drink to Judy. As she took the glass, Nick leaned forward and placed a kiss between her ears. Judy nearly dropped her cup as he let his lips linger in a rather sensitive spot at the base of her right ear.

_Sweet peas and carrots does that feel amazing!_

Judy opened her eyes to see him pulling away from her.

 _Not so fast, Slick._  As he went to sit down next to her, she stood upon her seat, leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. So close to the lines of his lips she could feel him beginning to smile. Finishing the kiss, Judy pulled away slowly, making sure to catch his eye.

"If you get a kiss, then I get a kiss, Nick."

"Awwwwwwwww!" Clawhauser cooed, bringing his paws up to cover his mouth. "You two are just so adorable!"

"I know, right?"

All three mammals turned to see Don Fanghanel hiding behind a rose bush, staring at the fox and bunny. The wolf grinned sheepishly, slowly lowering behind the bush until only his ears were seen. Judy groaned, plopping her head into her paws as she dropped her elbows onto the table. She felt like her ears were on fire from the blush that was furiously enveloping them.

She was in that position for only a few seconds when she felt a paw on her arm. Glancing out from behind her paws, she saw familiar russet-toned fur and a vulpine paw offered to her.

"I think I hear a song that was meant for us," he supplied. "And I know a certain artist who I've invited here tonight who would love to draw as lovely a mammal as yourself."

Finding herself smiling, Judy placed a paw in Nick's. As they stood, she paused to take a quick sip of her drink that he had brought for her.

"Alright, now I'm ready," she stated before allowing herself to be led to the dance floor once more.

 


	31. Masquerade Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited by Euphonemes

"And...there it iz! It iz finished!"

The beret-sporting cougar turned the painting around, showing it off to the excited fox and bunny waiting in anticipation, almost silent save for a soft whine coming from Nick at having to sit for so long in one spot. Judy was almost bouncing in her seat, her eyes gleaming with exhilaration at what would be Nick and her first painting of them... _together._  Her look of anticipation swiftly shifted once the painting had turned to face them, her look of glee freezing into a look of shock while by her side, Nick coughed politely into his paw.

"It's...nice?" Judy offered, trying to keep her smile from cracking while turning to Nick for help. The fox nodded in agreement, his own faux smile plastered upon his muzzle.

"It's a wonderful drawing of us," Nick exclaimed, clapping his paws together. He ignored the rather unladylike snort from the bunny next to him. "What will you call it?"

"It iz a," the painter hiccuped and swayed as he offered them the painting. "A Bun and Fix, no?" Pointing at the oddly shaped lines and squiggles on the canvas, the cougar smiled. "You see yourselves?"

Judy nodded quite slowly. She nudged Nick with her elbow, leaned over, and whispered through her teeth to him. "Is that supposed to be my tail, or your ear?"

His facade broke as he snickered. Nick must have been quite the expert at polite conversation, though, as he quickly transformed his laughter into a cough when the cougar raised an eyebrow at the fox's reaction.

"Don't worry, Pyroo. It's wonderful. We'll take it."

"Merci!" The cougar clapped his paws in joy, then waved the two towards him. Judy and Nick thanked him once again as the tipsy feline placed another canvas upon his easel. "Who iz next?"

As they left, they noticed another couple sitting down in their recently vacated seats. Nick and Judy looked at each other, trying to hide their smiles as they saw Eliot helping Chloe into the seat next to him.

"Are you ready, Pumpkin?" Eliot said while holding his wife's paw. "I know that they'll capture your best side, as there isn't a bad side anywhere on you." His overly cheerful smile and furiously wagging tail  _barely_  indicated to Judy how excited the wolf was for this opportunity.

"Think we should tell them?" Judy asked her date. Even though the paintings were free, she still felt bad about Eliot's reaction at the finished product, if it was anything like their own. Judy stared at the portrait in her paws. Rotating the picture this way and that, she finally decided that the picture was growing on her, even if she still wasn't quite sure who was who.

"Should we let them be surprised? Yes, yes we should," Nick replied. The fox went and stood behind Judy, wrapped his arms around her and placed his muzzle between her ears. Placing a tender kiss between them, he enjoyed how Judy lay back into him. "I think I've figured out which one is you in this."

Judy raised her head, seeing nothing but the cream-colored scruff underneath Nick's muzzle. "Oh, how so?"

Nick chuckled. "You mean you can't tell, Carrots? Why, you are the more beautiful of the two." He pointed towards the figure on the right. He heard Judy laugh, which he loved more each time he heard it. She pushed his muzzle off her head, but not before he stole another kiss on the back of her paw.

"Oh, Nick," Judy chided. "If you keep this up, mammals will think we're married, like them," The bunny pointed back towards the wolf and Tasmanian tiger, the former nuzzling the latter, a sight that she hoped one day she and Nick could emulate. The way Eliot showered his wife in attention, while Chloe, in turn, doted upon him by fixing his jacket in preparation for the painting before giving him a kiss. Judy watched, a twinge of jealousy coursing through her as she watched a massive blush cover Chloe's face, rising from her cheeks into her ears as Eliot peppered her face with kisses.

_I wonder if Nick and I would ever be like that?_  she wondered. Stealing a quick glance up at Nick, she saw the same type of look in his eyes. A look of want. As he turned and looked at Judy, that look he held only heightened, quickening Judy's pulse as he leveled his hungry gaze at her. Nick leaned forward, placing his muzzle right next to Judy's ear.

"We could always be that. Would that please you, Judy?"

Her throat felt like the desert outside the villa walls; words trapped in the dry dust. Even in the cool night air, she felt the need to fan herself as she returned the fox's gaze.

"I… I don't think I would mind."

Suddenly shooting up, Nick looked both to his left and right. Judy was perplexed, though that didn't last as his paw shot out towards hers. Grabbing it, he enticed her forward, out of the main area and onto a side path that led from the main festivities towards a more secluded garden.

"Where are we going, Nick?" Judy asked as the fox urged them deeper and deeper into the garden. The hedges and shrubs that lined the path blocked nearly all the light from the party barely a hundred yards away. Judy stumbled in the darkness, her foot catching on something. Before she could even put her paws out to catch her fall, Nick was there.

"Nick, where are you—"

Her words vanished as Nick pressed his lips against her own, silencing her with a passionate kiss. Judy quickly fell into the fox, and within moments, both were grasping each other tightly, paws finding any part of the other to pull deeper into the kiss. One of Nick's paw found its way to her cheek, and it was the final stroke that caused Judy to lose it.

With a growl that neither had ever heard a bunny make before, Judy broke the kiss, twisted and pulled the fox around her. Nick's back would have landed quite unceremoniously on the ground, if it weren't for Judy's paws clasped around his back, holding him up in a classic dip.

"Just remember, you started this." Nick caught a spark flashing in her violet eyes, the light of the moon showing him the growing hunger in them.

"Mi querida conejita hermosa." Nick's words were softly spoken, but they echoed across miles of the countryside as he brought his paw once again to Judy's face, stroking her ears. "You are, without a doubt, the—"

"Just shut up and kiss me," Judy growled.  _Actually_  growled. Nick smirked.

"As you wish."

* * *

Only a few hundred yards away from Nick and Judy's blissful idyll, another fox, slightly pudgier and with a few more years on him, was trying his best to creep through the woods unseen.

"I can't believe my cousin put me up to this," Gideon spoke softly. His annoyance at what he was doing only grew when he spotted yet another guard patrolling the perimeter of the gala. "I could be in there, enjoying the blueberry pies that  _I_  made with my own paws, but no...I have to be stuck traipsing around in this costume instead of being with Sharla."

The red fox harrumphed. The guard finally disappeared, giving Gideon the opportunity he needed. He crossed the open yard, managing to make it behind another tree before the guard turned, canine ears ticked up in alarm. Quirking his head to the side, the uniformed wolf looked behind him. Apparently satisfied by the empty lawn, the guard shrugged his shoulders and continued on.

Gideon breathed a sigh of relief as the wolf walked away. Turning back around the tree, he gave a startled yelp as another fox appeared in front of him.

"Whoa there, little missy," he said quickly. "Who might you be?" The vixen took another step forward, her fur glistening a silvery white in the pale moonlight. Gideon's surprise grew when he took in her outfit: an almost eerily similar version of his own Zorro attire. After a few awkward moments, his eyes widened in recognition.

"Sk—"

Gideon stopped short when the vixen leapt forward, smashing her lips into his. Caught completely off-guard, there was nothing Gideon could do but let out a surprised but muffled shout as a sharp pain entered his chest. The pain flared in all directions as he felt the object twist violently, sending a shuddering pain ripping through both mind and body. The vixen stepped back, and a smirk, not unlike his cousin's, spread across the female's muzzle. Gideon looked down in horror at the knife jutting from his chest. His gaze lifted, a bloody cough blotting out whatever word he was going to say as his legs gave out beneath him, his body thumping against the tree behind him. With unfocused eyes staring up at the vixen, he managed one word.

"Why..." he asked, before his head fell to his chest.

The arctic fox rolled her eyes as she saw the last of the life disappear from the fox's eyes . She wiped her blade against the corpse's black shirt, then ripped the mask that covered his face.

It took a millisecond for the angry, vulpine snarl to escape her lips.

"It's not him!" she growled. She planted a kick into the side of the dead mammal, shifting his lifeless form a foot along the ground. Angrily, she yanked the blade from his chest, using Gideon's own shirt to wipe it clean before jabbing the knife back into a hidden sheath on her belt. The masked mammal darted off into the night, leaving behind the grisly scene of her crime.

* * *

Finnick was bored. Not because of the company he was keeping at the moment. No, that was beyond amazing in his mind. If he could talk, he would be gracing the mammal by his side with gratuitous compliments and amorous gestures. Glancing at the margay sitting next to him on the front steps of Don Wilde's mansion, Finnick smiled, feeling at peace with the world with her by his side.

The two had left the main area of the party, Finnick feeling a little bit tipsy while Weidii just wanted to get away from all the noise and din created by hundreds of mammals gathered in one place. She may work in a bar, she mused, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being around a cacophony of sounds all day, every day.

They found themselves sitting next to each other on the front veranda of the Wilde mansion, Finnick pantomiming a story about a bunny and a beanstalk as Weidii laughed mirthfully.

"Oh, Finnick," Weidii giggled, covering her mouth with her paw. The tiny fox smiled, had turning to focus upon the feline while stopping his rendition of 'climbing the beanstalk'. "This is why I adore your stories."

_Aw shucks…_ Finnick thought. He took a moment to rub at the back of his head bashfully.  _I just wish I could tell you the story instead of doing this. I get too winded._

The moment ended when a horrible sound screeched from the walk, right around the front gates of the property. Both predators turned towards the sound, their ears flickering to listen for any new sounds or noises. When a second clanging sound happened, Finnick turned towards Weidii, motioning with his paw to garner her attention. In a flurry of movements, he drew his arm, making quick slashing movements, then marched in step and saluted. After finishing, he pointed towards himself, then to the fence line in the distance.

"You want me to get Nick and Judy while you check the noise?"

The fennec nodded. Weidii shot him a glare, one at which he simply rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and tapped his foot.

"Fine," Weidii huffed. "But you be careful,  _comprende_?"

Finnick flashed her a smile before darting off towards the gate while Weidii hitched up her dress and sprinted as fast as she could back towards the party. Finnick moved in the other direction, running past several servants talking amongst themselves. Among the torchlit path, he noticed a shimmer of metal underneath a nearby bush

_This will do nicely_...Finnick thought as he picked up the shears. Tucking them into his pants, he again made his way towards the gate and the odd racket coming from near it.

Sprinting past a row of shrubbery, Finnick poked his head around the plants and spotted what was creating the racket.

A tiny sheep banging her hoof against the gate.

A very familiar sheep...

A very  _drunk out of her mind_  ewe.

_Bellwether, you filthy little inbred ewe. What are you doing here?!_  Finnick cursed everything in the universe at the moment. Even though the gates were wide open, the ewe was so sloshed that she was still banging on them, demanding entry to the party.  _What kind of idiotic, freak of a..._

Finnick's ears swiveled around when he heard grumbling coming up towards him.

"Where did she go? She just hopped out of the cart like a maniac. I thought you were watching her."

A second voice growled at the first. "I thought you were watching her. I ain't getting her barf all over me a second time tonight. That ewe has enough puke in her to make an elephant grimace."

The two heavy paw-falls came closer until the tiny fox heard a derisive snort. "Well, here she is, in all her drunken glory."

Finnick glanced around the corner, frowning when he saw two tigers staring down at a stumbling Bellwether.

"Hey...you...guuuuys!" Bellwether slurred. The sheep gulped, then placed a hoof over her mouth. Instinctively the two tigers stepped back.

"Ah cripes, not this again," the first tiger groaned. "You carry her back to the carriage."

The second tiger backed away, holding up his paws. "Again, no. She pukes, it's on you, not me."

"Well, I ain't picking her up."

"I'm not either," the second replied.

"I can...walk myself..." Bellwether drawled, before face-planting into the graveled walk. Both tigers rolled their eyes.

"See? She's out…  _again_. You carry her."

"You mean like the last time she was out and then retched in her sleep? No. Let's just leave her here and pull the carriage up for her."

"Works for me, Joaquin."

The two tigers marched off, grumbling about their boss before disappearing in the distance. Finnick sighed, then walked forward, glaring at the passed out mammal blocking the path into the manor.

_Something's gotta be done about her…_ he thought.

It was then he was struck with an idea.

An awful idea.

Finnick got a wonderful awful idea.

He stared down at the ewe.  _I know just what to do._..

Finnick twirled the shears in his paws, cackling in his mind as he began snipping.

* * *

It was nearly an hour after retreating into the Don's garden that a certain fox and bunny re-emerged. Looking only slightly disheveled as Judy picked blades of grass from Nick's coat while Nick brushed back a clump of matted fur on Judy's ear that had received quite a bit of attention over the past hour. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice the way they glanced at each other, their expressions immersed in their shared adoration towards each other.

"You're going to have to teach me how to do that so I can repay you, Nick," Judy said with a grin. She picked off one last blade of grass from his coat, smoothing it down before clasping his paw in her own. "I haven't had that good of a massage in a  _long_  time."

Nick smirked. "What can I say, these paws are magical." The fox wiggled his fingers, gaining a laugh from the now blushing bunny.

"They are quite magical. My shoulders haven't felt this good in years."

Nick nodded. He wasn't sure who had enjoyed the massage he had given Judy after their brief but cherished session of kissing under the moonlit sky. He'd suggested it when he felt he could remedy the knotted muscles in her shoulders. She complied in earnest, sitting on his lap as he worked his magic on her aching muscles. Even though Judy seemed to get the most from the massage, Nick was also elated at being able to caress such soft fur...and the way she leaned back into him after he was finished... the way her lips found his over and...

He shook himself to keep his thoughts from wandering any further. Nick didn't want to visit Padre Viendo Manchas after all, even if after the last hour he probably deserved to pay the jaguar a courtesy call. Especially after the incident with the confessional and Capitán Stumper.

Walking paw in paw, the two spent the remainder of the masquerade enjoying each other's company, saying hello to old friends of the Don as well as enjoying several more dances together. The drinks flowed freely, with Nick and Judy getting into quite an enjoyable exchange with a brown bunny serving at the bar. Nick knew the barmaid, Trisha, as the bunny worked for Weidii at The Feisty Feline, but was surprised when the brown rabbit had jumped up and over the table at Judy's approach, squealing in delight at the sight of the grey doe. The two began an animated discussion, which caused Nick to excuse himself as Trisha asked Judy all about when her and the foxy Don would be tying the knot. Blushing profusely, Judy said that she hadn't brought up marriage with Nick, or even courtship yet, an explanation which caused Trisha to burst into a fit of giggles followed by a playful rub of the arm and a seductive smile.

"You have no idea," Trisha had said through tears of laughter, leaving Judy beyond confused.

As the moon reached its zenith in the sky and began tumbling down once again, many of the guests began calling it a night. Don Wilde, as the mammal in charge of the night's gathering, had the luxurious job of sending off each of the party goers with a special gift: a specially wrapped package filled with an assortment of produce from his orchards — and for some, less affluent attendees, a large amount of pesos nestled between the foodstuffs.

Judy took to his side, passing out the packages with a smile that betrayed the feelings in her heart at seeing the warmth in mammals' eyes as they, mostly graciously, took the packages. She noted that several of the other Dons in attendance took the gifts with a scoff, or even had their servants pick the gifts up for them, while those citizens of Zootopia she has seen on her patrols would gratefully accept them, some with tears in their eyes.

_Is there anything good you don't do for these mammals?_  Judy found herself asking that question a lot in regards to the fox at her side, who currently was chatting away with a marmot and her two daughters. The soft way Nick praised her for bringing up such wonderful children, as well as how he seemed to know intimate details of the life of someone who seemed a complete stranger, surprised Judy. And he seemed to speak this way with every mammal passing by.

_You've been lucky that he likes you…_ her mind hinted to her.  _Don't mess this up, Judy._

"I'll try not to," the bunny whispered to nobody but herself. She looked up at Nick, surprised to see him looking down at her with a smile of his own.

"Are you alright, Carrots?" he asked. "You seem to be a bit fatigued by the night's festivities."

"I'm fine," she replied, averting her gaze so she could pass out a gift basket to another mammal that she didn't know, though Nick had again greeted them by calling out their name and asking how their parents were doing.

"Alas, my adorable little lagomorph, you have quite the tell when you are feeling down."

Judy's eyebrow shot up. She let out a huff when she ran a paw down her ears, which were splayed against her back.

_Figured he'd notice._

It also didn't help that at that moment, her body decided to let loose a rather large yawn. "I guess I am a bit tired," she replied.

"To be expected," Nick laughed, stifling a yawn himself. "It  _is_  late, and with how much dancing we've done tonight, I am surprised we aren't both asleep on our...paws..."

Hearing his voice trail off, Judy cocked her head to the side and noticed he was sniffing the air. An inquisitive expression took shape in his eyes.

"What is it?" Judy asked, before handing off another gift to a family shuffling by.

Nick waved his paw at her as he stepped out from behind their table. "I'm not… I'll be right back."

Judy watched as the fox left, sniffing at the air as he hurried along the pathway out to his orchards. A tingling sensation worked its way down her spine. It was a sensation she had trained herself to notice, as it usually meant that something bad was afoot.

The next minute that passed was excruciating for the doe as she tried to find anyone to take her and Nick's place at the table. Finally, she spotted Finnick waltzing up the path, a carrot-eating grin plastered on the predator's face.

"Oh, Finnick, can you come here?" Judy hurried. "Can you pass these out while I find Nick?"

The short fox looked annoyed for a second, before letting out a heavy sigh. He marched up to the table and crawled upon it, giving Judy a stink-eye as the bunny let her thanks be known to him. With a quick apology, she bounded past the table and in the direction Nick had gone.

_Where could he be?_  Judy thought as she dashed along the pathway surrounding the manor. The crowd of guests thinned the further she travelled. She barreled into the commons area where the dance had taken place. Noting the only mammals there were a few drunk ocelots passed out at a table and the band packing up their instruments, she rushed over to the latter.

"Have you seen Don Wilde pass through here?"

An elk packing up his guitar paused and turned towards the rabbit. "Who?"

"Don Wilde," Judy repeated. "The fox hosting this gala. Have you seen him?"

"I did." Judy looked past the elk to a giraffe who had finished placing his trumpet into a case. "He passed by here not too long ago. Was heading towards the orchards."

"Thank you so very much," Judy replied. She turned and began to race off when a second comment nearly froze her to the ground.

"Yeah, he went that way not too long after a vixen had headed off in that direction."

_A… vixen?_  The thought brought Judy to a complete halt.  _Why would he..._

Shaking the growing sensation of worry building inside her, Judy forced herself to move. She passed through the dance area. The candles flickered, burning low and giving out little light or warmth. She raced past the spot where the grass still was pressed against the warm earth from their time together earlier. She kept her ears up, anxious for any sound, when a sudden yelp and rush of movement came from a path on her left.

Turning quickly, and barely avoiding running into a mulberry bush, Judy plowed ahead until she came to a small clearing. What she saw inside forced her to run even faster than before.

A beautiful arctic vixen, clad all in black, standing in the clearing with a sword raised to Nick's chest. The red fox was clearly panicked and clasping his right arm, grimacing in pain and fear.

"Nick!" Judy screamed as the sword thrust towards his chest.

It was just enough of a distraction to save his life.

The vixen turned slightly, enough pause for Nick to sidle out of the way of the incoming thrust. Instead of meeting his heart, the blade sunk deep into the tree behind the red fox. Letting out a curse, the vixen turned to the intruder, only to have bunny feet greet her muzzle in a dazzling fashion.

The female fox went soaring back through the air, tumbling when she hit the grass, though managing to get to her feet quickly. Judy was huffing and puffing as she stopped near Nick. However, she didn't let her gaze drop from the now snarling fox standing mere yards away from her.

"Are you okay, Nick?" the doe asked, keeping her eyes trained on her armed adversary who was pushing herself to her feet a few yards away.

She received no answer but for the frantic, panicked breaths coming from Don Wilde. For a moment, her gaze flickered to look at him. "Nick?"

A flurry of movement came out of the corner of her eye. She snapped her head back towards the unknown assailant, only for stars to appear when a fist caught the side of her cheek. The bunny was tossed into the air momentarily, only to have her foot be caught and her momentum changed 180 degrees. Her stomach lurched as she felt herself flung in the opposite direction of Nick, hitting the ground with a loud 'oomph'.

Judy shook her dizzy head as she pushed herself off the ground.  _Haven't been grabbed like that since the academy.._.

The sound of metal sliding from a sheath woke her up instantly. Staring ahead, she saw the vixen walking back towards Nick, a rather lethal-looking bowie knife held in her paw. Judy dashed forward, cursing her dress as it caused her to stumble. The sound caught the attention of the vixen. Her ear twitched as she turned and slashed the air behind her, right where the bunny would have been if she hadn't tripped.

Judy saw her opportunity and took it. Rolling onto her back and underneath the vixen, Judy scrunched her frame before letting out a massive kick to the vixen's stomach. The fox let out a strained cough, bending nearly in half at the force of the blow. The doe didn't let up, sending two more double kicks into the vixen's stomach and chest. As Judy readied a fourth, the vixen leaned to her left, and the kick hit nothing but air.

Judy found herself fully extended as the other female grinned. The bunny knew what was coming when she saw the vixen raising her arm, bending at the elbow, and prepared as best she could as the fox countered, smashing her forearm directly into Judy's gut.

Pain blinded her as Judy found herself again propelled through the air. She finally came to a stop, tumbling in the grass as her vision swam. Two vixens seemed to be walking towards her, a large knife passing between their paws.

_Must...protect...Nick…_  was the only thought going through her mind as she went to stand. Stumbling again over her dress, she caught herself only to find the vixen's elbow connect with her neck, cutting off her air supply and forcing her back to the ground as the arctic fox let out a snarl.

"I guess I could always let you die first," the vixen whispered, bringing the knife to bear over Judy's head as she put more pressure against Judy's neck. The rabbit struggled for breath, kicking frantically but connecting with weak blows. Judy found her paws grasping at the fox's forearm, desperately trying to pull her off in an attempt to get the air her body was screaming for.

The vixen laughed, a slight hint of amusement showing in her cold blue eyes.

"Two for the price of one always worked for me," the fox drawled as she let the knife slide over Judy's ears and along the fur at the top of her head. "I'm sure you've heard of the Chocpaw tribe before? The tribe that has a certain  _method_  of showcasing their defeated enemies?"

Judy felt the knife dig a little into her fur, with a trickle of blood seeping from the wound, before the fox let the knife pull away from her head. A slight whimper left Judy's throat as she realized what the fox was about to do. The thought terrified her and caused her to again desperately paw at the vulpine arm pressed against her throat.

_No...please don't..._

Judy's mind was scrambling as she suddenly found the fox's foot pressed firmly down on her chest. She let in a grateful gulp of air before the pressure on her lungs intensified. The vixen bent over her, grabbing the bunny's ears and stretching them taut until Judy felt the arctic fox was going to pull them off of her skull.

"I wonder how much a bunny scalp goes for nowadays among the Chocpaw?" The vixen grinned as the knife lowered towards her ears. Judy was furiously pawing at the vixen, her attempts becoming weaker and more frenzied as she felt the last tendrils of energy drain from her limbs. She barely registered her arms falling limp against the fox's foot. Her voice cracked, yet she wasn't sure if she was trying to scream at the pain pulsing through her body or if the subtle sound was her calling out for Nick one last time.

Judy felt the blade breach her forehead, sending a new wave of pain through her as the vixen laughed. "I'm sure my master will be happy to have your ears mounted above his..."

A sudden crack split the air. Judy barely registered the sound, her mind to deprived of oxygen to do anything but hazily watch in dull surprise when the vixen's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she slumped off to the side.

With the pressure on her chest relieved, Judy went fully into flight mode, attempting to roll over and crawl away, putting as much distance as she could between her and the murderous fox while trying to catch her breath. She only made it a few inches before the last bits of her energy gave out, and she collapsed fully to the ground. Tilting her head to the side, an odd sight greeter her.

Nick stood nearby, panting heavily while holding onto what appeared to be a massive…  _something_ , in his paw.

In a flash, he was at her side, the mysterious object dropped in his haste to envelop the bunny in a crushing hug.

"Are you okay, Judy?" he whispered into her ear. Judy nodded.

"...good...," she croaked. Her voice was painful to use, the muscles burning after the pressure forced upon her throat. "What… what did you do?"

"You see these trees around us?" Nick asked. Judy nodded as the fox continued. "They're called Coulter pines and are known for one thing..."

Judy coughed, attempting to speak but finding her voice gone. Noticing her fatigue, Nick answered his own question.

"Coulter pine cones," the fox replied. When the bunny gave him an odd look, he simply shook his head. "I'll explain later, but please, Judy," he pulled back to look into her eyes. " _Are you okay?_ "

Again, Judy nodded, though with the frown Nick was giving her, she stopped and finally shook her head.

"She's quite the talented fighter," Judy finally said, letting several minutes pass before she spoke, and when she felt her voice was strong enough to use once more. "Haven't felt this beaten since the academy."

Being enveloped in Nick's arms, she could feel him freeze, then let out a shuddering breath that sounded more like a sob.

"There's a reason for that," he replied quietly. He pulled away, enough to where he could look into Judy's eyes and she into his. The sparkling emeralds that had seemed to dance in the moonlight mere minutes before seemed dull and full of pain as he gathered a breath.

"Nick?" Judy asked. The bunny placed a paw against his muzzle to calm him. Leaning into her paw, Nick trembled before tears began streaking down his cheeks.

"It's Skye, Judy." he whispered the sobs wracking his body. "It's because that is Skye!"

Judy's eyes widened. She twisted in Nick's arms, trying to see past him and into the gloom of the night. With a group of clouds passing in front of the moon, Judy could barely make out a form on the ground. The clouds passed, and the glow of the moon again filled the quiet clearing to reveal the prone form of Nick's fiancée.

"You mean… Why did she try and  _kill_ us then?!" Judy yelled, pointing towards the unconscious fox.

"I don't know, she wasn't like that the last time I saw here, and she was always so caring…" Nick glanced at the vixen, a mournful tone to his gaze. "This isn't who my Skye is…"

_My Skye…_

Judy felt the words more than she heard them. They burrowed deeply into her heart, uprooting and tearing apart all the kind words and caresses the fox had given her. The pounding in her chest made her pull away from Nick, settling back onto the grass, her eyes cast downward.

Nick didn't know what to think when Judy pulled away from him so suddenly. The comforting weight of her in his arms had vanished. "Judy?" he questioned, placing his paw on her shoulder. The bunny flinched, her head twisting until their gazes met. The rabbit lowered her head, though Nick could see the forlorn expression in her eyes.

" _Your_  Skye?"

_Oh…_

"Judy… I didn't mean it like that."

"How else could you…" Judy paused. "Just, nevermind. Forget I said anything."

"Judy…" Nick whined, only to see her stand on shaky legs.

"She's back now," Judy whispered, her back facing the tod. Immense emotional pain enveloped her, bringing tears to her eyes as her body trembled from the anguish flowing through her. "I'm guessing you still have the rings."

It was a statement of fact -the once-Capitan had no need for an interogation. She knew...and so did Nick.

Nick paused, frozen in place.  _Why is all this happening now?_ Nick groaned inwardly.  _Just when I had decided to get over her, to love again, and she shows up and is just so…_ His own heart was racing, trying to run away from the cruel irony of the situation. The day he decided to put his past behind him was the day his past came to destroy all he looked forward to. He moved to speak, his mouth moving, yet no words formed.

Judy saw how he didn't reject her statement, and an even larger amount of soul-crushing despair flooded through her. She averted her gaze from him, hoping he wouldn't see her trembling nose or tears pressing down new paths along her cheeks.

"You're good with changing mammals, Nick," she breathed, each word sounding shaky and off. "You changed me, so I know you can change her back to, 'your Skye', again." Suddenly, Judy found the pathway out of the grove of pines coming under paw as her body begged her to leave the mortifying situation behind her.

"Judy, wait!" Nick cried out, stretching his paw out towards her. She stopped, only to tremble and wipe at her eyes.

But she had stopped. He still had time to salvage this.

"She isn't who I love now," Nick avowed. He was glad when the rabbit's ears flickered towards him even if Judy made no move to face him yet. Nick pushed himself up to his feet, wincing when he momentarily forgot about the wound in his arm. Knowing he had her attention, he continued.

"Judy, she isn't the one I love. My Skye," he winced when he noticed Judy flinch at the word, "is not that mammal there. That is only a husk of the mammal I once knew. Besides, I have already decided to move on. I can't hang onto the phantasms of what once was when I have the beacons of the future heralding me forward to greater joy. The past is the past. And that is where she will stay." Nick found himself standing right behind the doe. Noticing her trembling form, he placed his paw upon her shoulder. "My future... _our_  future, lies with the greatest light I have seen and know… _you_."

Slowly, inexorably...like the changing winds turning the sails of a ship, Judy turned. Lines of tears streaked down her cheeks, dripping onto her torn and muddied dress.

"You stupid, romantic, eloquent fox!" she cried. Throwing herself into him, Judy wept. She went to speak, when several yells attracted their attention

"Master Wilde! Master Wilde!"

"Over here," Nick shouted, as mammals rustled through the trees and brush. "In the pine stand." The fox walked over to the bunny, both intently studying the other. He placed his paws upon Judy's shoulders.

"I know this is no longer the time or place for this discussion, but, know this," His paw raised to cup her cheek. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss against her lips, thankful when she timidly returned it. "I love you, Judy Hopps," Nick whispered. "Never forget that."

"I know…" Judy echoed his sentiments with her own brief kiss. "But what about Skye?"

Judy turned to look at the arctic fox. A sudden gasp escaped her lips when she saw the vixen standing next to a tree. Quickly yanking her sword from the trunk of the pine, she took a step forward, only for an arrow to land with a  _thunk_ into the tree right by her head.

"An intruder is threatening Don Wilde!"

Judy and Nick turned to see a painted dog armed with a crossbow burst into the clearing. The canine reloaded another arrow as the arctic fox growled.

"You two will be dead soon enough," she snarled, ducking behind the tree with a fleetness of paw that surprised the doe and tod. Another arrow was shot at her, missing the the vixen but catching the sword held in her paw. Yelping in pain, the vixen crashed through the bushes beyond, disappearing from view as the sound of her escape vanished with the passing seconds. Behind Nick and Judy, another painted dog and Weidii, both armed with similar crossbows, appeared from the pathway.

Weidii noticed the state that both the bunny and fox were in and let loose a mournful mewling sound.

"Oh  _mis pobres amigos_!"

Dropping her weapon, she hurried to them, clasping them in a massive hug. The feline pulled away, gasping as she saw blood smeared upon her own dress. "What happened? Where are you hurt? What is going on? Who was that intruder?"

"One question at a time, Weidii," the first painted dog stated. A frown pulled at his lips as he stared at the wound in Nick's arm. "Would you like us to give chase, sir?"

"Thank you, Delta," Nick proclaimed, "but I can almost guarantee you wouldn't find her. Even with Atom's nose over there."

The wild dog let out a snarl. "We've already tracked her this far. It would be reckless to let a murderer like her escape."

"Murderer?" Judy asked, eyes widening. Delta nodded.

"Correct. One of the serving girls found a body slumped against a tree in the western fields, her scent surrounding the poor soul."

"Who was it?" Judy asked. A hundred faces of different mammals that she had seen throughout the night flashed through her mind.

"It's The Fox, sir," Delta admitted, pausing as Nick and Judy's eyes widened in shock. "It's Zorro. He's dead."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Three things to note. First, Shaved Bellwether is from a bet I had with Fox in the HenHouse, who helped out quite a bit in this chapter. Atom and Delta are from Bluelighthouse, and also from are in here from a bet I've had with him. So go read both of their stories as they are amazing!
> 
> Second bit of news, this chapter ends the first arc of, "The Masked Fox". The story will be taking a brief respite while I start planning and writing out the second part to this story, which will probably come in a month or two.
> 
> The reason for the wait is the third bit of news I have for you. The much long overdue, "What if...?" Mega-AU now has a firm date for when it will begin; July 1st. Ten authors are already helping me with this project, which now contains 47 mini-stories of varying lengths. This will take quite a bit of my time, but I promise to also get the second half of, "Masked Fox", completed while writing this other story as well. I hope you'll be excited for when it arrives. :D
> 
> So this ends Arc 1 of "The Masked Fox". Again I am so happy that most have enjoyed this story so far. It has been amazing to work on it so far with several amazing people. Special thanks to all the folks, CharlieBarkinq, KungFuFreak07, Yasminoliveia534 for the artwork to this story, and to R3d Fawkes and Euphonemes on editing it. They made this story possible as well as all of you for supporting it. I'll try and start it up again in late August/early September after I get far enough ahead in "What if...?" that I am able to devote to it the attention it would need.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~Cimar of Turalis/WildeHopps


	32. Observations

**Chapter 32 Observations**

**Edited by Libious**

* * *

The sun peaked in through the curtains, alighting the room in a wash of early morning light and gently bathing the rabbit laying under the plush cotton comforter in its soft, warm glow. Judy rolled over and snuggled deeper into the pillow, struggling in vain against waking up as the light began pouring into the room. Outside a cock crew, signaling the start of a new day.

Realizing that struggling against a new day was useless, Judy's eyes blinked open and she let out a rather large yawn. She smiled at the warmth and comfort she was in, not having felt this heavenly and contented since she'd arrived in Zootopia...

Judy's eyes shot open and she sat up in the massive bed, eyes flickering around the rather spacious room she was in.  _Where am I?..._  was the first thought she had followed quickly by the second as she lifted the sheets...

_Where are my clothes?!_

She pawed at the nightgown she was wearing, a soft lavender piece that was quite modest despite how it hung long on her, though how she'd gotten into it was what confused her. Memories came back through a haze of thoughts of the night before. The party and its frivolity, dancing with Don Wilde...that thought brought along a fleeting smile, one soon relinquished at the memory of Skye's attack on Nicholas and herself. After that the memories began to blur though she did remember sitting close to Nick inside the house, surrounded by guards while both bunny and fox nursed rather tall glasses of stiff drinks to help their frazzled nerves. After that...nothing.

"Aye caramba..."she muttered, wincing at the light headache she had. "I should not have drunk so much blueberry sangria..." Rubbing at her forehead and wishing the pain to stop, of which it simply mockingly laughed at her and continued to make her head pulse, she drew the covers away from her and made to slip from the bed. As she sat up, the room spun slightly and she let out another groan.

She slipped back under the covers, tossing them over her head as well as an extra pillow for good measure. A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts, and the rabbit's winced. "Who is it?" she moaned, pushing her paws to her temple.

"A certain bunny's favorite amigo?" Nick asked from the opposite side of the door.

Judy giggled, shaking her head under the pillows. "I'm fairly certain we are past that stage after our session last night, mi amor."

A deep throated laugh came from the fox. "Oh, I knew bunnies were quick but, should I be expecting you on one knee when I open this door?"

Judy snorted, causing a fresh wave of nauseous to hit her. She whimpered, clutching at her head.

"Are...are you alright Judith?" Nick's question was filled with concern. "Are you decent?"

Judy nodded, then after realizing how stupid it was to nod her answer both under covers and through a closed door, she spoke up. "I am, you may enter."

The door handle jiggled, then opened in a flourish as the fox strolled in, a platter of food and drinks between his paws. A heavenly smell arose from the dishes upon it that Judy could smell even from under the covers. She sighed in delight at the scent of cinnamon oatmeal, fresh carrot juice and, of course, blueberries.

Nick placed the tray down upon the desk next to the bed, shaking his head at the small lump underneath the covers as he lifted the tops from the dishes. "Less than a day into your vacaciones from work and I can't get you out from bed. That or you shouldn't have had that second glass of sangria last night." He turned around and gently lifted the covers from over Judy's head. Judy hissed at the light hitting her, blinking rapidly as she brought her paws over her eyes. When she finally pulled her paws away, Nick realized he had made a grave error.

 _Oh...how_ _estúpido_   _could I have been just now..!_  Judy's eyes were filled with a sadness that even her hangover couldn't hide. "I'm so sorry," Nick whined, smacking his forehead with his paw before sitting gently on the bed. He brought his paw over Judy's ears, lighting brushing them back. She let out a whimper and leaned into his touch, grabbing his arm as she closed her eyes.

"It isn't a vacation, Nick...it's a lost dream." "I'm sorry..."

Nick began, continuing to stroke her ears. "I didn't know you would lose your job like that."

Judy shook her head. "You're not to blame..." she muttered, sniffling a bit. "It's the desperado Zorro. It was I who decided to listen to him and just...throw my dream away on a hunch. I was such an idiota!" As she spoke more anger filled her voice until she pounded her paw into the pillow at the last word. "I should have never trusted that fox! He just wanted to get rid of me all along!"

Nick was frozen, not knowing what he should do as Judy broke down in front of him. The hangover was letting her emotions run free and free did they run. As Nick listened to her vent, she went on and on about how she should have never trusted Zorro. That even though she had found information that Bellwether was hiding something, it was now lost to the flames. "I could have just continued to be patient and possibly gotten more information on what that ewe was up to, but now, I have nothing!" She pounded the pillow once more before leaning out to grab Nick. The fox yelped in surprise as she pulled him towards her, snuggling into his chest as her breaths came haggardly. "The only thing I have left here is you..."

That single line, spoken with such hurt sealed it for Nick. "My bonita conejita senorita...you have so much more than a simple fox like myself. Why, I bet I could list a rather large amount of Zootopia that already miss you as Capitan and that are still here for you now.

Judy scoffed as she raised three fingers. "Sergeant Clawhauser, you, and Weidii don't count."

"What about the Ottertons?" Nick asked.

"They probably still hate me after I broke their child's sword."

Nick scratched at his chin. "I think you'd be surprised then. I just spoke with them a few days back and found that Mr Otterton wanted to personally thank you for your contributions to the city. If it weren't for a business trip to the mountains, he would have said so personally at the gala last night."

Judy's eyes raised to meet Nick's. There was a question within them, the rabbit probably wondering if he was telling the truth or simply trying to make her feel better. It appeared she reluctantly accepted his word, sighing as she leaned away from his touch. "I still have messed up though. Now the city is in control of a malicious ewe, Zorro is dead and your ex," a tiny tremor crawled down her spine and cooled her blood," is trying to kill us."

"Come now," Nick tutted. "Let us at least focus on the positives for now, no?" He brought the tray across from the table and sat it over Judy, who blinked in surprise. "What, have you never had breakfast in bed?"

"What?" Judy exclaimed, looking down at the tray which sat upon a platform above her legs.

Nick laughed as he placed his paws next to each other in the air. "Breakfast, in bed. With spaces between the words. You've never had this before?"

Judy shook her head, taking a piece of toast in her paw and idly playing with it. "When you have hundreds of siblings, nobody has anything special. Couldn't afford it." She set the toast down and picked up the spoon, pushing the oatmeal around in the bowl. "So no, I haven't had, breakfast in bed."

"Well," Nick stated merrily while clapping his paws. "You'll have that today. We have a lot to do today and I for one want an early start."

Judy peeked out the windows. "Isn't it past nine?"

"Eleven, actually," Nick shot back just as she began chewing the oatmeal.

* * *

"You can stop apologizing."

"I'm sorry..."

"..."

"I said it again..."

"Did you apologize for the eleventh time for spitting hot oatmeal in my face? Yes, yes you did. You were good ten apologies ago."

"But..."

"No buts, except for yours, which I'm wagering is adorable."

"Nick!"

"What, I didn't say cute."

"But..."

"Are you now talking about mine, or yours, eh?"

Judy just stood gaping at the fox, her mouth working up and down as she tried to form a response to his snarky and saucy comments. She finally growled in annoyance before stomping off the porch. "Just...let's go see if we can find any clues as to what happened last night."

Nick watched her stomp off, ears sinking a little as he trudged after her. The breakfast had been ruined after Judy had learned what time it was and coughed out the oatmeal she'd been about to eat. The piping hot mush had coated Nick's muzzle and Judy had leapt up to brush it off, only to upturn the entire plate of food onto the bed.

 _I'm never making her breakfast in bed again..._ Nick thought as he followed Judy out the door. She had changed back into her regular Capitan's uniform, minus the outer coat, but only after a long and lengthy discussion on how she had come to be wearing a nightgown several times too large for her without remembering how she got into it. Thankfully Nick had not drunk as much as the bunny had and could remember everything quite clearly, including how he had laid out one of Skye's old nightgowns for her to wear. It had hurt, especially considering what the vixen had just tried to do to them both, but it was the only night clothes he could find.

Of course he left out that little tidbit of information from the story when he had left Judy to get changed.

When Nick had come to check on her nearly half an hour after she had begun to change, he had found her staring in sorrow at the destroyed vestments. He simply walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her and rested his muzzle between her ears and let her weep silently.

It had been a long morning for both of them, however, as Judy left the house towards the place where Nick's servants had found his cousin, her attention was focused and alert. Nick watched in amazement at how quickly she could focus on the here and now. It made him smile, even as his gaze caught several guards standing at attention around his villa, as well as patrolling the outer areas. Since the murder and assaults last night, the guard had been tripled in an effort to prevent it from happening again.

Though the damage had already been done.

The rumor that Zorro had been killed had already spread like wildfire throughout Zootopia. Nick couldn't help but grimace at everything that had occurred. He'd almost forgotten completely about Gideon's appearance at the gala, meant as a way to finally and conclusively end any inkling of thought in Judy's mind that he, Don Wilde, was Zorro. Now everyone just thought that Zorro was dead, a far worse ending that could have occurred.

The death of his cousin was another strike that pierced his heart far more than any blade could. Gideon had been his only cousin in Califurnia, and a close confidant he could trust in. His eyes narrowed at the thought that not only had he been murdered, but that it had been Skye who had done the deed.

_What has made you change so...?_

Lost in his musings, Nick found himself already by the tree where Gideon had been found. Blood still stained the ground and tree bark where he'd been forever silenced by the vixen. Sadness permeated his soul at the loss of his cousin while Judy was already combing the area. The doe looked up, only to see Nick staring aimlessly towards the red smear against the tree. Wordlessly, she padded over to him, wrapping her paws around his waist and leaning her head against his chest.

Words weren't needed as Nick wrapped his own arms and tail around the bunny. The pair stood for quite a while in silence. It was only when Nick wiped at his eyes and pulled away did Judy dare make eye contact with him.

"What are you looking for, Carrots?" Nick asked, trying to bring himself away from the loss of his close cousin, scanning the area himself while glancing around the perimeter of the scene. He found it odd that no soldiers had arrived to do what they were now performing.  _Curse the lousy ewe!_

Judy's ear twisted towards Nick as she continued brushing at the grass. "Anything that could give us a location of where we could find the murderer."

"Anything yet?" Nick asked as he paced near the tree, sniffing heavily but only catching the coppery scent of blood, trimmed grass and his cousins scent."She used a scent neutralizer, I can't even catch a whiff of her here."

Judy stood up, brushing her paws together. "Didn't find anything here, let's go to the other scene."

It only took a few minutes to cross the yard and head into the orchard. The scene in the woods was much more chaotic than that in the yard. Judy's paw went instinctively to her bruised ears as they swept down behind her at the memory of last night. Never had she felt so terrified as when Skye's dagger had been so close to severing...

"Judy, I found something!"

The doe blinked.  _So soon?_  Looking around, she noticed that Nick wasn't even in the clearing with her.  _Was I out that long with my thoughts?_  She saw his paw waving towards her from a ways into the garden and followed it. "What did you find, Nick?"

She found Nick leaning over a small bush, searching through it with his paws. "I don't know, I followed Skye's scent to here and there's  _something_  in this bush but I can't reach it-OW!"

He pulled back his paw, grabbing his thumb before sucking on it with a grimace. "Why did I ever have to plant rose bushes in the first place."

"Let me," Judy counseled, walking towards the bush. Eyeing the nearby ground, she found several larger sticks and a few of the pine cones that Nick had used to save her life the night before. "I think I have an idea, but I'll need your help."

"Whatever you need, bonita Zanohorias."

Judy felt a blush creep up into her cheeks and ears. "Sappy fox," she whispered, though couldn't help the swelling of love within her breast at the sound of such praise directed at her and coming from another mammal. Grabbing the sticks, she propped them under several of the lower hanging branches of the bush, then snapped several of the frills from the pinecone.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Nick asked as he crawled under the bush on her back, facing up and ears underneath her to keep them from snagging.

"Breaking the thorns," she answered as she hacked at several thorns just above her with the heavier and sturdier bits of pinecone. Going against the grain of the thorns, she easily pried them off one by one and with her smaller paws, managed it without getting stabbed. "This would be easier with a knife, but I don't have one on me. Pass me your paw."

Nick did as commanded, and pushed his paw under the bush and next to Judy. Noticing it was the same one that had been poked, a devilish smile came to mind. Barely seeing him through the leaves and branches, Judy leaned up and kissed his finger where he'd been jabbed by the thorn, then dropped a pawful of them into his outstretched paw.

Nick blinked as he felt what only could have been a lightly placed kiss upon his finger. "Carrots...did you just..."

"Did I just kiss your finger better?" came the reply from inside the bush as several items dropped into his paw. "Yes, yes I did. Now can you drop these thorns somewhere? I don't want to accidentally scrap into them on the way out. The fox nodded and withdrew his paw, tossing the thorns into another rose bush nearby before looking at his finger and smiling.

"I think I found it!"

The cry from Judy pushed his attention back to within the bush. "What is it? Do you need some help?"

A bit of shuffling came from within and the bush shook several times. A few grunts and heaves from the rabbit and then finally a shout of acclamation.

"Got it!"

He watched in amusement as Judy flipped over and shuffled back out of the bush. Nick couldn't help but stare at her tail she made her way backwards from the foliage, the appendage flickering every now and then until Judy fully pulled herself from the thorny predicament.

"I hope you weren't staring at my tail," she said in amusement as she brushed off the front of her lapel. Nick's ears shot up in alarm and he quickly mov ed his gaze to the ground, finding his feet rather impressive at the moment. A giggle from Judy told him he'd been caught red-pawed, so he simply raised his head and gave her a roguish grin.

"It is not such a bad bun for a bun. I'd rate it a 9 out of 10 tail wriggles."

Judy just shook her head and groaned. "Why did I fall for such an awkward mammal..." Her amused smile, however, betrayed her words as she passed across a wad of bloody leaves towards Nick. "This is what you had been sniffing out. Surprised the wolves didn't find it last night when they searched."

Nick grimaced, staring at the poultice with the dried blood on it. "So...it's a poultice of some kind?"

The doe nodded. "Yes, and this particular style I've seen before many times."

"You have?" Nick asked, eyes widening slightly. Again Judy nodded.

"Yes. This is a comfrey poultice, and my family has used this type for generations to help with aches, pains and bruises." She inspected it a bit closer, nose wrinkling at the bloody scent attached to it. "But there are a few other herbs in here I don't recognize. Though from the smell I'd say several came from the Sierra Nebeara mountains."

"Why do you say that?"

Judy looked up at the fox as she pulled a pawkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the used poultice in it. "That's where the comfrey plant grows. Or at least where my forefathers got the original plants from since they can only grow in that climate. That and there is a piney smell to the compress that reminds me a bit of home"

"But isn't home for you hundreds of miles away?" Nick asked as Judy began marching back towards the manor, the fox trying to keep up.

She nodded. "Exactly, which is what makes this all the stranger, no? Why would your ex-fiancee who disappeared mysteriously suddenly reappear and have in her possession a poultice whose origins stem from halfway across Califurnia. It doesn't make any sense." Judy kept walking, oblivious to the fact that Nick had completely stopped behind her. Only after silence pervaded both her thoughts and immediate area around her, the sound of vulpine pawfalls not reaching her ears, did she halt. Ears swiveling around before her eyes, she cast a curious look towards him.

"What is it?" she queried, turning to walk closer to him. Nick held a paw up to his chin, tapping it softly as a soft, yet affable and warm grin spread across his muzzle.

"You said this is a natural medicine your family uses, right?"

Judy nodded. "It is."

Nick returned the nod before clasping his paws together. "Well then my conejita hermosa, I might just know a guy..."

* * *

**AN: It's back! Took some time to really figure out how I wanted to open this arc up, as well as plan out a few chapters ahead. That and the "What if...?" project has been a lot more monumental a task than I thought it would be as now almost 50 people are working on it. XD So I apologize for the delay, but, this is back. Can't promise weekly updates as I'm still working on several more stories for the "What if...?" project such as "Doppleganger", "Boxing Bunny", "Originals" and "Galactic Rabbit". But I will give updates to this about every two weeks is the plan, so look forward to more swashbuckling, hearthrobbing, Spanglish filled action to come!**

**Also, any guesses as to who they will be coming to see?**


	33. New Allies

**Chapter 33 New Allies**

 

**Edited by Euphonemes**

**Artwork by Knoton13**

**Big thanks to Knoton13 for the cover art here! Can't wait to see what you think of the new characters. Also, hid a few references in this chapter so see if you can find them all! ;)**

* * *

"So, who is this new friend of yours?"

The question of just who Nick was taking her to see had been playing on her lips since the moment they had left the villa. They were currently in a rather nice carriage, one being peddled by two of Nick's guards, while two other wolves sat on each side of the vehicle, watching for danger with crossbows held at the ready. Judy herself was gripping the hilt of her sword the entire journey into town.

She wasn't about to let this vixen get the better of her a second time.

Nick kept a wary eye on the road, though he cast a cursory look at Judy, adding a smarmy smile to purposely rile the lovable bunny. "That would ruin the surprise, no?"

"Hmphh..."

As the town of Zootopia appeared around a bend, Judy spotted Fort Zootopia looming ahead of them. She felt a sharp twinge of pain in her heart seeing the building that had been hers, only for her dream to be snatched away by that insidious ewe. Noticing her drooping ears, Nick patted the shoulder of the kudu peddling the cart.

"Más rápido por favor."

The kudu nodded and doubled the speed he had been peddling, putting them past the fort in no time flat. But as they passed the gates, Judy's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

Not even thinking, she leapt from the cart as it sped past the fountain.

"Carrots!" Nick yelled. "Carlos, stop...stop!"

Judy was off and running towards the entrance, slowing to a stop as she reached the massive unguarded entryway. "Is that... _Bellwether_?"

Judy watched as a  _very_  shorn Bellwether marched between four of her tigers from the latrine to Judy's old quarters. The bunny couldn't contain her surprise at seeing the now pink, woolless animal between the legs of the four tigers.

Her ears perked as they caught light pawfalls behind he.. "Nick, didn't Bellwether have wool the last time we saw her?"

Nick looked between her ears, parting them with his snout. Judy shook her head at his antics, though she couldn't prevent a stifled laugh of her own when Nick guffawed. The fox covered his muzzle with his paws while trying to hide his frantic laughter.

That lasted about two seconds before he let out a loud, wheezing 'Haaaaaa!'.

Four sets of narrowed eyes stared in his direction, though Nick didn't care. "She looks like a naked mole rat!" he snickered before leaning against the fort walls, laughing without end. Judy looked back at the ewe, who was glaring daggers at the doe. She decided it was about time to leave, even though she quite enjoyed the look of consternation on the Bellwether's face, as well as hearing the snickers from soldiers throughout the courtyard of the fort. As she turned, grabbing Nick by his coat lapel, she couldn't help the wide smile that skirted across her muzzle.  _At least Karma found a way to repay her for her generosity._

"Come on, Slick," she chuckled. Grabbing the wheezing fox, she led him back to the cart, and they were off again.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

Nick grumbled at the near constant refrain from the rabbit. Judy, on the other paw, was having a great time getting on the fox's nerves in order to find out who they were going to meet. It helped that she was holding his free paw while leaning into his side. Her voice was laced with as much sweetness as possible. It wasn't her style, however; she had observed how several of her sisters pulled the same trick on their suitors. Judy felt like she'd lose nothing giving it a go.

"No.." Nick growled.

"So, are we there yet now?"

Nick sighed heavily and groaned heavily. _"Judy…"_

"Yes?" Judy asked coyly, smiling at the fox in the seat next to her. Nick stared down at her for a long while as the cart made its way out of town. Her smile never let up under his glare, and it only took a minute for Nick to finally break, rolling his eyes before deciding on another route. Leaning down, he placed a quick kiss upon Judy's lips.

Judy's eyes sparked wide open as his lips came away from her own. Blinking quietly, she found herself caught in a stupor as the cart continued its jarring, rocky journey down the dusty dirt road.

Nick grinned at the stupefied rabbit as he placed a paw against his muzzle. "You know...I think I can promise another of those if you keep that question to yourself."

Judy blinked away her confusion. "Huh?"

Nick leaned back into the seat. It wasn't very comfy, but he liked watching the stoic rabbit officer being so flustered at such a little gesture. Placing his paws behind his head, he propped his feet upon the seat in front of them. Judy finally realized what the sly fox had done and narrowed her eyes.

 _Two can play this game..._ she thought. "Nick?"

" _Yes?"_  Nick drawled. "What is it-urgk!"

Nick was stopped in his tracks as Judy yanked down on his jacket lapels. The wolves surrounding the different sides of the cart snickered, watching Judy kiss Nick deeply, pulling him closer to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Those two…" the wolf peddling the cart laughed.

"Oh hush, Larry," the wolf next to him said. "It's good that he's finally found someone."

"I agree with that, Gary.". He looked behind him, finding the kiss ending. Larry noticed a divot in the road ahead and nudged his companion, pointing at the dip. Understanding dawned on the wolf and he leaned the cart towards the hole.

_Da-dump!_

The whole cart shuffled, sending Nick falling on top of the bunny. Their eyes widened at the sudden situation.

"Uh…"

Both Nick and Judy nervously chuckled. They felt the cart jerk to a stop, and Nick raised his head. "Oh, we're here!" he stated in a rush as he pushed himself off of Judy. He wiped his paws on his shirt and offered a paw to Judy. The bunny simply glowered at him, crossing her paws across his chest while laying on the bench.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Nick?"

"Am I?" he asked, ears perking.

"A certain promise?" Judy reminded the fox as her paw again reached for his coat.

Gary and Larry chuckled along with the guard wolves, who jumped off the cart and created a perimeter at their destination. They watched as the fox yelped and disappeared again under the back of the bench. "They really like each other, don't they?" Gary asked his brother.

"It does seem like that," Larry replied as they heard a growl, followed by a squeak, though they weren't sure who made what noise. They abandoned the cart and the two mammals still on it as they secured the perimeter. It took several minutes for the rabbit to reappear, smoothing her shirt as she hopped from the cart with a smug look and a spring in her step.

Nick reappeared a few seconds later, one paw cautiously grabbing the side of the cart. The fur on his head was quite ruffled and his clothes a slight mess as he pulled himself from the cart, leaving his hat somewhere at the bottom of the cart. He slowly made his way out of the cart and onto the ground, legs wobbly and paws shaky.

 _Remind me never to make a bet about kisses again with that bunny..._ he thought as he stumbled about in a love-drunk haze, nearly falling out of the cart and onto his muzzle _._ Nick grinned, a goofy smile etching his face.  _Though I really don't mind her kisses...they're dynamite!_

He slowly made his way towards where Judy stood in front of a large wigwam. Nick placed an unsteady paw on Judy's shoulder. "So...do all rabbits kiss like that, or is it just you?"

Judy smirked up at the fox. "Sorry, bunny trade secret. And unless you plan on kissing another rabbit, you'll never find out."

"Not planning on anything like that." Nick wrapped his arm around Judy's side. His gaze caught her amethyst eyes glancing at him. "Only  _one_  bunny for me."

"Hmmmm…"

Judy nuzzled into Nick's side. "Sounds good to me, Slick. Now, who is this mysterious amigo that you wish for us to meet?"

"Oh, Ake'cheta?" Nick drawled as he led them towards the entrance of the teepee. "He's a good friend of my family and an honorary member of the Pawute tribe, though he originally came from the Spilyáy tribe. He acts as a bit of a liaison for his tribe and Zootopia and knows more about poultices and herbal remedies than anyone else."

"Ah," Judy stated as Nick led her to the flap of the wigwam, lifting it and letting Judy inside.

The interior of the wigwam was clouded with smoke from a smoldering fire, the coals and single log bathing the area in a soft, earthy glow. The insides of the tent were sparse: a single ornately crafted carpet covered one half of the inside, while a large chest sat against the opposite side. On top of a the chest was a rather odd device, which looked like a fancy birdcage. As Judy drew closer, she saw an odd kangaroo plushie, sporting a tattered blue tunic. Several scrolls covered with inscriptions coated the entire cage, with large and spacious dream catchers hanging and pieces of sage were tied above and on the cage.

"Huh…" Judy said, leaning her head to the side. Her interest was lost as a wooshing sound filled the small room. She ducked her head, levelling her ears as a tomahawk whizzed between them.

"Yaaah!"

Judy turned to look behind her, seeing the tomahawk buried deep into a support pole right between Nick's splayed ears. Judys' sword was in her paw in an instant, whipping around to face a silent coyote sitting cross-legged in the middle of the carpet.

"Who are you!" Judy shouted, her rapier pointed at the mammal as she advanced on him.

"Carrots…"

Judy drew up to right in front of the silent mammal. As she closed upon him, she noticed the red markings across the tan coyote's body and across his eyes. Levelling her sword at his chest, she again growled.

" _Who_  are  _you!"_

" _Judy…"_  Nick again warned.

"What?" Judy stormed, casting her gaze behind her.

Nick lifted a nervous paw toward the coyote. "You don't want to make him angry...you wouldn't like him when...he's…"

Nick stammering turned to incoherent murmurs as the light in the wigwam dimmed, the last of it disappearing as the fire died completely. The last thing she saw was Nick gulp and his eyes go wide with worry.

"...angry." Nick finally muttered. Seeing Nick's shadow dancing against the walls, Judy turned to see a soft glow appearing from behind her. She noticed the light came from a wisp of smoke above the coyote that grew slowly, trailing through the air like a snake through the grass.

" _I...AM..."_ a deep, bellowing voice said, filling the tiny area as the cloud grew, expanding until it towered over both Judy and Nick. The vision flared to life, the vibrant blue cloud taking shape into that of a coyote. At the same time as this tremulous display formed, the coyote's eyes flashed open, revealing a pulsing blue glow from them.

" _AKE'CHETA!"_

The room shook as the pulsing figure let back its shadowy head and howled. Judy nearly dropped her sword in surprise, taking several steps back to Nick's side. "What is he?"

"Um, right now?" Nick asked as the visceral vision stared down at them. "Seems a bit hangry, no?"

"Not the time, Nick!" Judy hissed.

The coyote on the carpet stood, his blazing eyes focused onto the two interlopers. The azure eyes focused on the fox. A small smirk lit his lips.  _"Ah, Don Wilde...long time no see…What brings you and this A'ykws to my abode."_

"It has been quite awhile, eh, Ake'cheta?"

" _It has been too long…"_  the coyote stated. " _What is your business here?"_

Nick clapped his paws together, seemingly now unfazed by the apparition looming over them. "Well, my fine compañero Judith here, has something that we would humbly ask you to identify for us."

The coyote's booming voice filled the void between them. " _And that is?_ "

Turning to Judy, Nick offered the doe a sweet grin. "Mi amor, do you have the poultice with you?" Judy nodded and with her free paw — her other still holding a death grip on her sword —handed over the satchel she had grabbed from the wagon to Nick. "Thank you."

"What can I say except you're welcome," Judy stated calmly back, though her eyes darted between Nick's green-eyed gaze and the azure form of a coyote floating above them.

Nick caught the flicker of her eyes and chuckled. "You must forgive my friend, Ake'cheta. He has a flair for the dramatic."

Judy tentatively nodded, surveying the insides of the wickiup again while seeing how far the exit was from their position.  _Just two leaps and we could be away from this crazy coyote._ She again found her gaze lingering on the few items in the room. Her head jerked back after passing over the cage upon discovering the kangaroo doll inside of it was gone.

"Uh...Nick?" Judy stammered, tugging on Nick's sleeve while her focus only briefly left the cage to look at the fox with a growing sense of fear.

"Yes, darling?" Nick asked. She pointed her sword towards the cage, only to have her mouth drop open at the doll re-appearing in the crudely built trap, a wooden bowl of popped maize situated in its lap.

"Oh, don't mind the Nope Doll, Carrots. He's usually harmless."

 _Nope...doll? USUALLY?!_  A spike of anger welled within the rabbit. Between the haunting visage hanging above them, the disappearing and reappearing doll and the general sense of growing anxiety she was feeling within her, she was growing increasingly agitated.

"Don Nicholas Piberious de la Wilde!" she yelled, somewhat shocked at the volume of her shout as the fox turned to face her again. "You are going to explain all of…" she waved her sword and paw around the room, "... _this_  to me, right... _now!"_ Her foot stomped on the carpet as her glare shot daggers through the fox.

Her eyes widened as she raised her sword, pointing it above Nick's shoulder.

" _That is easy, little a'ywks. Your_ _lutsa tlipa_ _here is_ _i-ya-yush."_

"Yeagh!" Nick jumped back, startled by the coyote's muzzle that suddenly appeared over his shoulder. His paw reached automatically for his right side where his sword would be, forgetting he  _wasn't_  Zorro at the moment.  _Gotta play the cowardly Don I guess..._ he thought, jumping behind Judy. He poked his head between Judy's ears. "Don't scare me like that!" he cried.

A rumbling laugh filled the wigwam. The coyote's shoulders began to shake as the mist above him began to dissipate, quickly losing its form and color altogether until it vanished completely. The light of the coals began anew as a fire licked hungrily at the logs placed above them. Judy could have sworn she heard a disgusted sigh behind them, but only saw the oddly named Nope doll inside the cage, its paws folded across its chest.

"Don Wilde, you have always been an easy fox to trick." The coyote advanced on the pair, a smile on his face. He extended a paw to Judy, ignoring her sword completely. "I am sorry for the display, Capitán Hopps…" He chuckled slightly as he motioned towards Nick with his head. "...I just wanted to see if I could scare Nicholas here."

Judy offered a shy grin. "I can definitely understand that." She extended her own paw and gripped his. "He definitely can be a xu-shum."

The coyote grinned. "You speak my language?"

Judy nodded. "Somewhat. A few tribes sometimes traded with my family, so I picked up a few words here and there. Mostly ones my mother and father weren't happy I learned."

"So they'd be very applicable to our mutual friend currently hiding behind you."

Judy grinned. "Very."

Ake'cheta let out a tremulous laugh. As his laughter settled, he looked at the satchel still in Nick's paw. "You said you had something you wished me to see?"

Nick nodded, passing the satchel to the larger mammal. "We do. We have a poultice that was used by Sk...an assassin, and wish to see if you can identify where it came from. Judy here knows it comes from the mountains near her home, but I thought you might be able to give us a closer location."

Ake'cheta nodded, ignoring the faux-paus while withdrawing the poultice, examining it in his paw. "Hmm...interesting." He turned his gaze back upon the rabbit. "I smell the comfry in this. You said this was from the mountains?"

Judy nodded.

The coyote sniffed the wrap, grimacing at the coppery scent of dried blood. Breaking a patch of it off, he brought it over to the chest in the corner. He withdrew a pestle and mortar, as well as a pitcher and bowl.

He passed the pitcher over to Nick. "Can you fetch some water from the spring out back?" The fox took the pitcher and, with a quick kiss between Judy's ears, he walked out of the tent, tail swishing behind him.

"Keep that one in line," Ake'cheta stated plainly as he mashed the bit of the poultice in the mortar. "That shapatkwapwiluula has many secrets."

The doe's head tilted slightly, nose twitching. "What was that you called him?" She hadn't recognized any malice in the canine's voice, but had never heard that word used before.

It was Ake'cheta's turn to look confused. He stopped his paw from mashing the poultice, head turning slightly. "You mean he hasn't told you yet?"

"Told me what?" Judy asked with a step forward.

Ake'cheta shrugged. "It is not my place to tell if he hasn't shared. We all have our shadows we wish to hide, though eventually like the morning sun, all things cloaked in black will be revealed."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, intrigued by his statements. Ake'cheta remained silent, his muzzle turned to a frown as he worked. Judy was about to question him further when the flap to the teepee opened.

"I'm back!" Nick raised the pitcher and smiled at the doe. "I brought the water. And Judy, it is muy deliciosa. You should try some...Judy?" Nick's ears perked up when he saw the bunny's nose twitching. "Are you alright, darling?"

"I'm fine…" she muttered quickly. She glanced at the coyote who had gone back to his task, a sudden tenseness to his movements.

"Are you sure?" he asked quickly, passing along the water to the coyote who took it with a curt nod. He poured a small amount of water atop the absorbent mashed plant material. Nick walked over to Judy, whose eyes bore holes into the floor. He placed a paw on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Judy snapped. Her eyes softened as Nick withdrew his paw. "I'm sorry...I'm just…"

"Overwhelmed?"

Judy sighed. "Yeah...I guess so." It wasn't a lie, but it was close enough to how she was feeling. The loss of her dream job had left a gaping hole in her heart, and even though she felt it filling being around Nick, the fox's general kindness towards her alleviating the sting of her loss, it still was there.

Though now, a new thought was brewing in her mind. What was the secret that Ake'cheta was about to tell her?  _What secret is Nick hiding?_

Her thoughts were cut off by the crashing of pottery and the sound of cursing.

"What is it?" she asked, eyes drawn to the cracked bowl lying broken on the dirt floor. Ake'cheta was staring with wide eyes at a smoldering pile in the center of it. The slight blue tinge to the smoke that wisped from it turned to an inky black the higher it rose.

" _El foso de la desesperación!"_  Ake'cheta muttered. "This is pejúta Šicà. Very bad medicine."

 _El foso de la desesperación..._ Judy repeated. Her ears shot up and eyes widened. "That's the place that Bellwether mentioned in her journal!" Nick shot her a worried look when the rabbit walked over to the coyote and placed her paws on the kneeling mammal's shoulders. "Do you know where that is?"

The coyote returned her gaze and nodded. "I do, but...that is a cursed land. Only those who seek death travel there. Many in my tribe have returned spouting gibberish, or not returned at all. The spectre of death lives in that land."

"Well, that sounds...terrible," Nick stated. "Well, I guess that means we'll be leaving it to more experienced mammals to follow up on that clue."

"We're going," Judy stated vehemently, turning her gaze onto Nick. Her amethyst eyes pierced through his defenses and shoved his protests back down his throat. It was the same look she had given him when he was masquerading as Zorro, vowing to capture him even if it was the last thing she'd do.

There would be no persuading the rabbit otherwise.

"Well, if you're going, I'm going, Judy. I can't let my favorite and most loved bunny go traipsing off to such a  _wonderful_ sounding place." Nick's gaze travelled over to the coyote. "How about you, Ake'cheta. Up for going mad?"

The coyote sighed heavily. "If only to keep you safe from the wayward spirits which surely haunt that place."

"Great, let's go!" Judy abruptly turned in place with military precision before marching towards the tent flap. "Gather what you need, Ake'cheta, and meet us at our cart. Nick? We'll head back to your manor and gather what we need."

Her eyes narrowed and took on a glint of steel. "We will find out what happened to Skye at the Pit of Death, even if it's the  _last_  thing we do."

The tent flap opened then closed as the bunny disappeared from view. Nick choked back a nervous gulp. "I sincerely hope that this isn't the last thing we do…"

* * *

**AN: So, while looking up the Spanish words to season this chapter with, I found out that coyote in Spanish was coyote. Who knew…*not me*Also, a huge thanks to Knoton for allowing me to use his OC, Ake'cheta, as well as giving me a lot of information about different Native American phrases I could use in this story. Translations will be provided below.**

**SAHAPTIN -**

**A'ykws- Cottontail Rabbit**

**Lutsa Tlipa- Red Fox**

**I-ya-yush (eye yah yesh)- Crazy**

**Xu-shum - Trouble maker**

**Shapatkwapwiluula -Outlaw**


	34. Befuddled Bunny

**Chapter 34 Befuddled Bunny**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

* * *

Ake'cheta was good on his word, packing together the supplies he needed in only a few moments. Together, the three mammals and four guards filled the now-packed peddle cart back to Zootopia with plans to pick up any supplies they might need for the journey within the city. The coyote gave away little about their destination, leaving the fox and bunny just to themselves the trip back.

An awkward fifteen minutes of silence.

Neither could place why the tension was building in the air. The sun, though shining bright, was warm rather than scorching as summer was rapidly changing to autumn, so hot and humid air couldn't be the culprit. Nor could blame be placed upon a lack of topics of conversation, as both had questions brooding below their calm exteriors.

 _I just don't know what to ask first._ Judy leaned back into the cart with a sigh and folded her arms across her chest. Sneaking a peak at the fox sitting next to her, she noticed his features seemed bothered, too. His hackles were slightly raised while a deep concern played across his face. With another sigh, she went back to staring at the road ahead.

Too much had happened too quickly for it all to make sense. The last two days had been a whirlwind of emotions and events  cascading into one convoluted mess.

_And all I was supposed to do here was capture Zorro, not all...this!_

Judy barely noticed the cart rolling into the main city minutes later. Apparently the news of the assassination after the gala had been whispered from mammal to mammal as citizens removed their caps or bowed their heads when Don de la Wilde passed by. The rabbit heard the muted apologies for Nick's cousin as they were stated in hushed and saddened tones.

"Zorro is dead!! Zorro has perished by a unknown blade! We are at the mercy of the cruel and merciless! Karma help us all!"

All except for Ceville.

Judy glanced up at the capybara, who normally ran the barber shop in town, running in circles around the main fountain, clothed only in a barrel hanging by two thin ropes. She went to leap from the cart to arrest the mammal when the realization she no longer had any authority stopped her.

She instead watched as several soldiers ran from the nearby fort, Sergeant Clawhauser among them, and attempted to calm the frantic mammal. She wished she could still be among them, but the nostalgia fled quickly as two tigers waltzed from the fort, scowling at Ceville, who Clawhauser had managed to calm. Only when the shouting subsided entirely did the two felines re-enter the fort.

"Judy, did you hear me?"

Her ears flicked towards Nick's voice, and her head followed. "Huh?"

Instead of seeing the fox sighing in frustration, he smiled lightly. "I was just discussing with Ake'cheta what we needed to do before we left on our journey."

"Oh, right." She gave her full attention to him even though her embarrassment painted her ears a lovely shade of pink. "What do you need in order to make the journey? I know everything I'd need is in my rucksack back at your villa and-"

Nick laughed, perplexing Judy into silence. "Those clothes would be no bueno, Carrots. Nothing against your uniforms, as they do cut a dashing figure on you, but we'll have to be much more subtle with this cause."

Judy nodded at his reasoning. "Right. So I would assume we are going clothing shopping?"

Nick grinned. "What I believe you meant to say, was that you and Ake'cheta will be going clothing shopping."

"What?" Judy raised an eyebrow.

"What?"  a shocked Ake'cheta declared.

"I have my own business to settle before leaving, so I believe we need to split up in order to gain the articles we need más rápido than we could together, no?"

"You want to split up with an assassin after us?" Judy asked in confusion. "I know that Ake'cheta can fight, but...you, Nick? I've seen you use a blade and I would say an infant bunny could better handle a sword."

Ake'cheta snorted loudly before turning stoic once more. Nick raised a paw to his chest, inwardly snickering at Judy's comment. _Oh how little you know, Fluff..._ he thought. He had a retort at the tip of his tongue but held it. His eyebrows lowered in concern. _How little you know about me..._

Judy, when seeing the worry flickering across Nick's face, took it entirely the opposite way.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she apologized. "I shouldn't have said that. I know you've been trying to become better to defend yourself and-"

Nick placed his paws on her shoulders. "Judy, it isn't like that...it’s..." He halted, his voice suddenly gone.

"It's what, Nick?"

Their gazes matched, each staring into the other's eyes, searching for answers as the questions hung in the air.

"It's..." Nick hesitated before supplying an answer. "It's just that you don't have to worry. I will have Gary and Larry with me, so I will be perfectly fine."

Judy leaned to her left to look around Nick, only to see Gary watching a butterfly flitter its way across the street, his tail wagging as Larry slapped a paw over his eyes. "Right...those two..."

Nick let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, I need Barry and Harry to go back home and let Finnick know he will be in charge while I'm away.

"Wait..." Judy placed a paw to her forehead, shaking her head before matching Nick's gaze. "Your guards names are Gary, Larry, Barry and Harry?"

Nick nodded. "And you can't forget their cousins, Jerry, Kari, Mary, Perry and Twitchy."

Judy's left eye twitched as she held up her paw. "Something tells me there is a story with those names that I don't want to know."

"Would that be an accurate assumption?" Nick chimed in with a smile. "Yes, yes it would be."

"Fine," Judy stated bluntly. "You go off with Gary and Larry but stay close to them." Her features softened as she took a step towards him, letting her paw trace the line of his muzzle. "I don't want you to be killed."

Noticing the already short distance between them, Nick leaned forward and pressed a quick, chaste kiss against Judy's lips. "Not to worry mi amor. You'll have your fox back in one piece." Leaning in further, he pressed his muzzle against her left ear, whispering, "Please stay safe as well."

Pulling away from a now heavily blushing bunny, the fox nodded at Ake'cheta. The coyote nodded back, their silent agreement formed.

_Keep her safe._

With a flick of his tail that brushed Judy's nose, the now snickering fox snapped his paws. The two wolves in the cart pedaled away while Larry and Gary fell in by the Don's side. With his paws behind his back and head held high, he marched off towards the docks.

Judy watched him leave until he vanished around a corner, leaving her to her own thoughts.

"That diigis lutsa tlipa," Ake'cheta muttered when they found themselves alone in the middle of the street.

Judy flicked her attention to the coyote. "I-ya-yush mąʼii."

Ake'cheta blinked several times as he lowered his crossed arms. Judy walked past him, a smirk gracing her muzzle. "You aren't the only one who learned to curse from their brothers. Now I think I know a place where we can go for new clothes."

**Page break**

The walk to Valorie’s emporium was a short jaunt. Before long, the cheerful tone of the bell atop the door announced their entry into the women's clothing boutique.

"Just a minute!"

Judy smiled at the warm voice. Her ears perked up at hearing her close friend, even as a bunch of peculiar emotions bubbled around in her gut.  Within moments, the female jaguar pushed away the linen curtains to the back room, smiling wide as she saw the familiar bunny.

"Why if it isn't Judy Hopps?! I'm so glad you're okay!"

The jaguar ran up to Judy and spread her arms out wide as she kneeled in front of the rabbit. Judy leaned into the embrace, her own arms only able to wrap partially around Valorie's neck even when the jaguar brought her closer in for the hug.

"I heard what happened at the fort from Benji and I just...ugh!" The jaguar pulled away from the bunny with a frown, tears welling in her eyes. "And then I heard about the attack last night! Oh I'm so glad you are safe!"

She enveloped Judy in a second hug, one much tighter than the first. There was little Judy could do besides pat the feline's arm gently with a nervous smile.

"It's okay Valorie. I'm okay, Nick's okay...you can put me down now."

"Oh, sorry!" The jaguar placed Judy back onto the ground, nervously smoothing out her dress as she stood. "So, what brings you in here today?"

Judy fidgeted in place. "Well, can you promise to keep a secret?" The jaguar crossed her heart with her paw before Judy felt safe enough to continue. "Alright..." Judy let out a sigh. "Nick, Ake'cheta and I are going to find the mammal who killed Zorro and figure out what role Bellwether plays in it."

Judy barely noticed the slight twitch in Valorie's eyes and the slight curve of her lip. A saddened expression took hold upon her as she kneeled down in front of the bunny. She still towered over Judy, but it didn't seem to matter to either mammal.

"And what do you feel about going on this quest to avenge, ah, Zorro, with Nick?"

Judy overlooked the slight hitch in her voice. "What do you mean?"

"Weidii told me what happened when you lost your rank. That The Fox had asked you to investigate the Magistrate."

"Should that matter?" Judy asked. "A murder is a murder, and in order to make the world a better place, I shouldn't overlook one because they were a jerk."

"Is that what you think of Zorro?" Valorie asked.

Judy froze. "What?"

Valorie continued, "Is that what you think of Zorro? That he is simply a jerk?"

Judy felt like shouting, ' _Yes!'_ as loudly as she could, yet it died in her throat. Was that what she thought of the deceased vigilante? The one who had annoyed her, goaded her, played her and in the end, got her dismissed from the army? All the instances of him annoying her, abusing her, ridiculing and taunting her flashed through her mind, with a particularly nasty blow to the head from a lantern leading those rancorous thoughts on the jaunt through her mind.

Without knowing it, her fists had clenched and she was gritting her teeth. "Of course! He was nothing more than a jerk who couldn't try to be anything more than a shifty, no good, conniving fox!"

Judy hadn't meant to shout. She really hadn't, yet, that is what she had done. When she was finished, she was glaring up at Valorie with ice in her heart and fire in her eyes. _All the bad that has ever come to me in this town came from him._

The calculating gaze Valorie leveled on her caused her to second guess herself. Her words even more so.

"I can tell you don't believe that."

Judy took a step back, stunned. "What?"

"You don't believe a single word you just said." Before Judy could retort, she continued. "I can see it in your eyes. They may dance with fire like the devil himself, but your words show a conflicted soul."

"Zorro," Judy grated out.

"Is you."

Judy blinked, then blinked again. "What was that you just said?"

"I said," Valorie repeated, "That _Zorro_ , is no different than you. Tell me, what was your goal in coming to Zootopia?"

"General Bogo ordered me to cap-"

Valorie shook her head. "No, why did _you_ come to Zootopia?"

"I..." Judy stuttered before falling silent, pondering her motives and thoughts. Finally after several moments, she looked back up at the feline. "I wanted to make the world a better place."

"And how would you do that?"

"I would use anything at my disposal. The soldiers of Califurnia would help me."

"Tell me then," Valorie stated causally. "Before you came here. Back when the soldiers didn't help the citizens of Zootopia. What did we have at our disposal to make the world a better place, hmm?"

Valorie cut the bunny off before she could speak. She hated to be so frank and angry with the doe. Nick had gone on and on about Capitan Hopps and how after a few meetings with the rabbit officer, the fox knew that she could be the one to turn things around for Zootopia. To complete the mission he could not do alone. That _she_ could be the sword of justice that he could never be. "Zorro the Fox was the only mammal that was helping any of us before you came. His goal was simple, just as yours is: to make Zootopia a better place. We had no means of getting there ourselves. We had no mammal to fight for us. We only had him."

Seeing that Judy was pondering her words through her wide eyed stare, Valorie continued. "What has he done to you?"

"What?" Judy was startled a bit by how wobbly her voice was. "What do you mean?"

"What has," Valorie said slowly, "Zorro done to you?"

Judy's paw unintentionally went to the spot where a lantern has smashed into her cheek, swung by that desperado. Just as quickly came what happened afterwards.

He had treated her. Apologized even. His eyes had betrayed a worry that she hadn't seen before. _Why would he have cared if he had hit you?_...one part of her brain suggested. _He only wanted to get on your good side. Soften you up before he completely destroyed you. He just wanted your trust._

Judy shook her head. "He's done lots of things..."

"Like?"

"He's...he's struck me. He asked me to search out Bellwether when he knew I would be caught for doing so!"

"Did he now?"

"Eh-"

Valorie smiled lightly. "I don't think that was his goal when he sent you after Magistrate Bellwether. I think he truly believed that you were the only one who could bring her down. Many others have tried, including Admiral Wilde, but none have been able to come even close to bringing down that despicable ewe."

"Wait...Admiral Wilde?" Judy was shocked. Nick's father had attempted to bring down the Magistrate? _Why would he have wanted to do that? What did he know?_ The largest question, though, loomed darkly over the doe...

_How did he fail?_

Valorie nodded. "Bellwether had something over him, and he...withdrew. Into himself. To become the callous, hard-hearted soul you see today. I am convinced that Zorro knew you could succeed where others had failed. You had no weaknesses she could exploit. You were, and still _are,_ the best hope that Zootopia has had to bring Bellwether to justice."

Valorie placed a paw on Judy's shoulder, nearly enveloping the smaller mammal. "That is what Zorro was trying to do. He wanted to make the world a better place. And he saw in you the best hope to do so. He was hoping you would succeed, and look, you _have_. You know where you need to go, and have enlisted the best help possible in that task." Valorie looked over at Ake'cheta, who nodded solemnly. She then turned her attention back to Judy.

"He didn't mean for you to be fired. Nor did he mean to strike you with that lantern. He was as antsy as a cheetah on their first date after that, figuring he had lost any budding credibility and trust from you, but it all still worked out in the end. He believed in you. And he _still_ believes in you."

In that moment, Judy's entire world was flipped upside down. "He...he thought I could...All this time?"

Valorie chuckled. "Not all the time, that's for sure. I'm certain he thought of you as an ill-tempered, emocional, cabeza caliente, lerdo conejo." The jaguar stifled a deeper laugh at the huff the bunny let out. "But he warmed up to you. He believed in you. And I know he still does."

Valorie let a minute pass by as Judy thought.

"So...do you still think you can hate him?" she finally asked.

"I...I don't know!" Judy huffed, stomping the ground as she began to pace. "I don't know! I...I want to. Oh how I desperately want to after all he's done to me but..."

Judy grabbed at her ears, looking at the floor. She hadn't realized she had been crying until she saw  tears staining the rug beneath her. "I just can't..."

A few hiccup-sobs came out as the bunny wiped at her nose. Valorie motioned the bunny forward and slowly, Judy walked into the proffered embrace. "Realmente soy un conejita lerdo."

Judy was glad for the warm embrace of her friend. Her emotions still felt all over the place regarding Zorro. Did she like the methods he had used? No, no she had not. Yet she realized she couldn't fault the vigilante for doing the only thing he could to help those put down by previous capitáns. Her burning hate had fizzled to a dying ember, as had the pain from Zorro's blow in that barn long ago...

Judy's thoughts came to a sudden stop. She looked up at Valorie, seeing only the bottom of her muzzle. "How did you know what he did to me?"

Valorie's eyes widened and her tail swished behind her nervously. "Eheh...oh look at the time! We've had much too much girl talk. Come, come, we must get you fitted for your quest." In a rush, Valorie was off her feet and pushing the bunny back towards the changing room.

"But, how did you-"

"Let's not dilly-dally now. I want to find you an outfit that will have Nicholas de la Wilde drooling over you."

Pushed several feet across the floor before she could recover from the sudden shock enough, Judy planted her paws on the floor. Valorie almost tipped over atop the bunny at the sudden stop, then found herself muzzle to muzzle with a very annoyed looking Judy Hopps.

“Valorie, you are going to tell me how you know all these little details about my encounters with el Zorro… _now_!”

* * *

**AN: Word translation time!**

**Navajo**

Diigis (Dee'geeus) - Stupid

mąʼii - coyote

**Sahaptin**

I-ya-yush (eye yah yesh) - Crazy

Lutsa Tlipa - red fox

**Spanish**

Verdezuela - Rapunzel

Belle - Belle (XD)

Emocional- Emotional

Cabeza caliente - Hot Headed

Lerdo - Dumb

Conejo - rabbit

Realmente soy un conejita lerdo - I really am just a dumb bunny.


	35. Frantic Fox

**Chapter 35 Frantic Fox**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

**Artwork by Knoton13**

** **

* * *

Nick hated lying with a passion. Which had grown into a bemusing subject for him over the years he had played the part of Zorro. An amazingly oxymoronic dichotomy, and one that, with the death of his cousin Gideon, he wasn't sure what to do about.

_Should I tell her? Or just let Zorro die? Or will that just betray the memory of Gideon?_

Those thoughts and others repeated through his mind like a ticking clock as he walked away from Judy, closely followed by his two guards. It wasn't until he was safely out of view of his darling grey doe that he waved off his escort.

"I will be fine from here on out," Nick muttered softly, nodding at each guard's startled expression. "I am just needing to visit an old friend and...him...before I leave and would rather do that alone." He began to walk away, but halted and turned. "Just make sure to take the back alleys and roads home so Judy won't see you and worry."

With a murmured, 'As you wish', from the guards, the two wolves left him, splitting into a nearby alley and disappearing from sight and sound. With a heavy sigh, Nick trundled ahead, making his way slowly towards The Feisty Feline.

* * *

Weidii was growing annoyed with her current customer. The wolfess had been running around her bar all day, smacking into things and accidentally knocking vases and drinks over on her other better-paying customers.

The margay slapped a paw over her face as yet another mug fell to the floor. "Kira, would you please just stay in one seat and at least try to contain your tail's wagging?"

The wolfess looked up with an embarrassed grin. "Sorry Weidii, but that seat looked much more comfortable than my own." Tracing the line of the outstretched paw, Weidii had to stifle yet another groan. "You just  _moved_  from that seat a minute ago because it kept snagging your tail!"

Her comment was greeted by a slight turn of the wolf's head. "I had?" The glare Weidii sent her had the larger predator nervously chuckling. "I'll just sit back down here then..."

"Good," Weidii stated before continuing to wipe down dishware behind the counter. The door opened, allowing the morning light and warmth flow into the bar.  _Now who is it..._

_CRAAASH!_

The plate Weidii had been cleaning dropped to the ground. "Nicholas!"

The fox looked up, only to feel the impact of the furred feline hitting his chest, her arms wrapping around him. "Oh mi amigo! I was so worried about you after I heard the news of what happened at your villa!" Weidii stifled a few sniffles, yet the tears still came. "I was so worried when they said that Zorro had been killed and thought it was..."

Nick clamped a paw over the margay's mouth, eyes widening just a bit as he looked around at the other patrons. Most were glancing at the fox and margay curiously as Nick gulped, his mind scrambling for a solution to the current predicament.

"I'm safe, Weidii," the fox stated, patting her back. "I think Zorro was trying to protect the guests and myself when he fell, may God rest his soul, but Capitán Hopps fought off the assailant."

Weidii blinked. "But, Hopps isn't a capitán-"

Nick cut her off. "She'll always be Zootopia's true capitán."

Looking up at Nick, Weidii smiled. "You really have it bad for that little conejita."

Nodding, Nick pulled the feline's arms away from his chest. "And that is one thing I came to talk to you about." He leaned in further, and Weidii could hear his voice catch. "As well as about my...my cousin."

Weidii could feel the pain in Don Wilde's voice. Nodding, she walked him towards the stairwell while shouting at the bar. "Taconny, you're in charge. Try not to break anything, alright?"

Rolling her eyes at the rabbit ears that popped up from behind the bar, a white-and-black splotched bunny face quickly appeared over the counter. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Alright! Free tacos for all!" Taconny shouted, running towards the kitchen. Weidii just groaned and led Nick upstairs. It was only a few moments before they reached the end of the upstairs hallway and turned into the last room on the right. She was barely into the room, leading Nick inside when the fox collapsed to his knees. Tears and great heaving breaths escaped the tod as he wept. Following her instincts, Weidii knelt down as well, wrapping her arms around him as his whole frame shuddered.

"There, there...it's alright, Nicholas. It's okay to grieve for your cousin." A few tears came to Weidii's eyes as she attempted to soothe her friend. "You don't have to force yourself to hide your emotions. We all know you are strong, and nobody, especially not that cute bunny of yours would think any less of you for shedding a few tears."

Nick couldn't say anything, the tears streaming down his cheeks and muzzle, dripping onto Weidii's blouse. It evaporated as the overwhelming grief he had been holding back since last night came rushing in, filling the empty void ripped from his heart that was left by the death of his cousin.

* * *

It took several hours for Nick to finally calm down. All the while Weidii knelt by him, stroking his back tenderly as a mother would to calm a frightened kit. Weidii knew that Nick hadn't been extremely close to Gideon, but blood was still blood, and to have someone ripped away like that...

Weidii sighed as she looked down at the fox who, while no longer weeping, still radiated heartache and distress.

"How are you doing, mi amigo? Better?"

Nick nodded softly. Pushing up slowly, he rose from Weidii's lap, as he had collapsed soon after his emotions had overrun his mind. "Thank you, Weidii." Nick wiped at the moist and sodden fur beneath his eyes, then stretched out his arms towards the feline. Rolling her eyes, she embraced the fox.

She knew he needed it.

Several minutes passed, however, and he still hadn't let go.

At about the five minute mark, Weidii had enough.

"Alright, alright," Weidii said as she patted Nick's back, his hug tightening around her as she tried to push away. "I know you like to hug, but if this goes on any longer, I'll let Judy know so...leave the fluff for the bunny, comprende?"

She felt Nick's hug instantly vanish as a smile appeared on her muzzle. "Now there's a good fox. I still don't understand why you couldn't have just let this out on that bunny. You know she loves you."

"Do I know that?" Nick said with a chuckle. "Yes, yes I do, however...I also know that when I get emotional I sometimes say...things..."

"Oh...right," Weidii replied dryly. "Though I don't think anything you blubbered out  _this_  time about how you should have been Zorro last night, or should have proposed to Skye sooner so she wouldn't have left and become a murderer, or how being Zorro caused all this, would have caught Judy's attention at all."

Nick blinked rapidly. "Did I...say...all that?"

Weidii grinned. "That is for me to know, and you to never find out."

Nick's jaw dropped slightly as the feline cackled with glee. "You are one evil kitty," Nick mused before his expression sobered. "Thank you, though. For letting me-"

Weidii waved him off with a paw. "Forget about it. Mi casa es su casa. You are more than welcome here anytime." Nick smiled, though it faltered as Weidii poked him in his chest... _hard._  "But you better leave this mopey-ness to the bunny. I can tell she owns your heart and soul, so if you have to bare either of those to anyone, show them to the one you trust enough to have given them to, okay"

A warm smile slid its way across Nick's muzzle. "Thank you, Weidii."

"You're welcome," she replied. "Now let's get back downstairs to see how many tacos Taconny has managed to eat while we've been away. Lunch is on me as well."

"Thank you for the generosity," Nick began before giving a nervous chuckle, knowing he was about to tread dangerous ground. "However, I need to be going."

It was something that halted the margay in her tracks. She completely froze, tail mid-swish behind her as the room chilled.

 _Yep...definitely a bad idea..._ Nick thought as he shivered.

Weidii didn't even turn around to look at him, yet her words filled the room with ice. "You'd refuse a meal from me?"

"Well, when you word it that way..." Nick laughed lightly, only for it to peter out rather quickly.

Weidii slowly turned until one narrowed eye was focused on the fox. "That was not a request, Don de la Wilde."

"Ahhe...hehe...right...one taco, coming up!" Nick said as his shoulders slumped. The atmosphere lightened considerably as Weidii moved once more.

"Good. I'm sure whatever you have to do, unless it is to propose to that adorable bunny that's won your heart, is not worth as much as a meal."

Weidii disappeared out the door, her claws click-clacking against the floorboards as Nick let out a heavy sigh. "Sure...at least I didn't have an appointment with my father..."

* * *

Feeling much heavier than when he arrived, Nick shuffled out of The Feisty Feline, sighing as he began walking towards the docks. Glancing at the sky told him he had lost several hours of precious sunlight for their journey, though it had been time well used. He'd managed to go over his plans for the trip with Weidii, the margay giving him nearly a week's worth of food-stuffs for the journey for Nick, Judy and Ake'cheta.

He'd also been able to leave her notes, asking her to keep an eye on Bellwether, watch his estate, and try not to do anything reckless against the irate sheep leading the city. She'd agreed to them all, though gave no promises on pranking the offending ewe.

"It's not like she can get any worse than she is now. She can no longer pull any wool over our eyes...or her own."

It was a groan-worthy pun, of which Nick fulfilled the amount of groans it was worth. As he had been about to leave, Weidii had stopped him for one last question.

"What's next?" she had asked him. He had hung his head, his mind considering exactly what he was going to do. As his head rose, she had seen a newfound determination in his eyes.

"I need to fix up one last thing before I go in case I don't return."

And that is what led him here. Nick eyed the pathway leading towards the docks, and one in particular. The  _Nighthowler_  sat at its pier with all the splendor and glory of  _una reina_  on her throne, the mighty ship-of-the-line towering above the other boats docked around it. As he neared, he saw a familiar sight: his father standing at the top of the gangplank. The aged fox still commanded a dominating presence with his straightened posture and regal uniform. The height of the ship above the docks allowed him to casually look down upon all who approached  _his_  domain.

He now was using that eagle's perch to gaze down upon his son.

Nick resolutely strode up the gangplank until he reached his father, staring him in the eyes.

"Dad."

" _Admiral_ ," came the callous retort. "I heard you were coming."

"Where is the crew?" Nick said, diverting the conversation so he could try and piece together how his father would have known his plans.

"Down below and up above," came the artful reply. Nick saw several deckpaws working on the forecastle and poop decks, as well as others climbing gracefully through the rigging above. "We're setting sail in a few hours. Won't be back for several weeks as we patrol the nearby coastline."

"Do you believe I care about when and where you're taking your precious boat?" Nick asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Admiral Wilde glared at his son after the offensive comment towards his  _ship_. "You're here, aren't you?"

"I could be here for many reasons."

"Namely?"

"To tell you I'm leaving as well."

The only reaction to Nick's comment was a smirk. "Already knew that, so why the visit?" The admiral turned and walked further onto the main deck, showing his back to the younger tod.

 _All or nothing..._ Nick thought. "I'm going to finish what you should have started with Bellwether."

 _That_  got a reaction from the elder tod. Admiral Wilde froze midstep, his tail poofing out immediately. "Did my ears deceive me, or did I hear you say something even more profane and idiotic than your usual drivel?"

Nick took a step forward. "You heard what I said," Nick countered. "I'm going after Bellwether with Judy. Like  _you_  should have done long ago."

"You're an idiot," the admiral snarled.

"And you're a coward," Nick shot back, taking another step towards his father. "Do you think that Zootopia is any better for what you  _didn't_  do? What you  _still_  aren't doing? Mammals are suffering while you sit high and mighty aboard this ship and wash your paws of everything. Do the mammals here mean nothing to you?"

"You don't fight the tides and wind, Nicholas," his father nearly spat, his head turning slightly to glare at his son. "You never win fighting against forces that will destroy you if you don't know how to use them properly."

"Oh," Nick laughed. "Oh, ho, ho, that is brilliant, mi padre. I guess that means that you've just been  _waiting_  around for  _twenty years_  for Bellwether to what, fall into your paws? To give herself up?" Nick approached his father, walking around to face him fully. "You are a  _coward_  who's afraid of a little gale."

The Admiral's gaze hardened. "You know nothing of the hurricane that ewe can produce. She will sweep you up and tear to bits everything I've done for you."

"That  _you've done_  for me?" Nick yelled, waving his arms to the side. "You've done  _NOTHING!"_

"I've done EVERYTHING!" the Admiral shouted back. Nick was shocked, leaning backwards as his arms fell to his side. He had never seen his father display anything past his normal contempt for him, let alone outright anger.

Seeing his son's silence, the admiral took in several deep breaths before continuing. "You know why your mother is gone, Nicholas?"

It was a rhetorical question if Nick had ever heard one. Though he actually didn't know what had happened to his mother. It had been a mystery that his father had never divulged, and something that Nick had simply stopped pursing after years of effort to unlock that secret from his father.

The Admiral continued. "You think that I've never tried to go up against Bellwether before? Or against any of the capitáns that Bogo has sent here? I tried before, secretly...and your mother paid for it with her life."

Nick was stunned beyond belief. "Wha...what?"

Nick's father sighed. "Your mother and I..."

He halted, his eyes quickly glancing around, spotting several members of his crew staring in silence at the two arguing foxes. The admiral coughed into his paw. "Let's take this to my quarters...it's a story that might take a while."

Nodding, Nick followed his father into the ship, halting only when his father paused and looked at him with genuine fear in his eyes. "I have been working your entire life to keep you safe, and yet you've decided to do exactly what your mother pleaded with me to do years ago." Placing his paw upon Nick's shoulder, the admiral offered a sad smile. "You have someone you love now. Don't let Bellwether do to you what she did to your mother and me."

With that, Nick's father turned and entered his cabin, the younger tod left blinking in the dim light for several moments before following.

* * *

**AN: Sorry about the wait again, however, I really, really, _really,_ needed to get this chapter right and that took some time. It is a bit shorter than usual, however, it contains everything it needs. Plus a lovely little cliffhanger for me to leave you all with until next time. And I promise an update before Christmas, as well as a few other surprises in my other stories. :D**


	36. Trouble Seekers

**Chapter 36**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

* * *

"Where is Nicholas? He was supposed to be here hours ago."

Judy's foot drummed against the decking outside Valorie's shop. She stomped her foot one last time, a small cloud of dust rising from the unswept boards. She was annoyed by the fox, though the feline shopkeeper, at the moment, bothered her more. As soon as Judy had thought she had the cat cornered, ready to tell why she knew so much about Zorro, several customers had come into the store and ended their conversation.

And Valorie seemed quite content to have those customers stay and peruse her wares...

...for  _hours_.

As the number of shop patrons grew, so did Judy's irritation. She had been  _so_  close to finding out something big about Zorro she could almost taste it as well as her mother's aqua fresca de pepino. It boiled her to no end that they had been interrupted, and by the time the shop was again left to the two ladies, Valorie had clammed up completely.

 _Infuriatingly stubborn feline!_  Judy pouted as she sat at the edge of the deck, shoulders slumped as she watched citizens of Zootopia pass by. Her new clothes, selected by Valorie, attracted much more attention from the local male lapine community than the prim, dress-wearing does. Her new, rather form fitting if you asked her, brown breeches and white blouse had managed to gather quite the stares from local bucks. She noticed the 'harumphs' from  _proper_  bunnies wearing  _proper_  dresses, as well as several leers from a gaggle of young bucks across the street. Ake'cheta's glare and step forward had them scattering and Judy was left wondering why Valorie would chose such an attire for her.

 _Maybe she wanted me to wear it for Nick?_  Judy thought, blushing at what Nick might think of her attire. Though considering he'd seen her in her uniform day in and day out, and with how bland the colors of her current outfit were, she doubted that.

"Do you think something happened to Nick?" Judy finally asked the stoic native warrior. The coyote shrugged.

"My opinion why the rain falls when it does reveals nothing as to why it falls."

Judy stared up at the larger predator, raising an eyebrow as he offered a light grin. "It means I have no idea what that xu-shum is up to."

She huffed and stared up the street towards where she had last seen the fox travel. The shadows lengthened as noon passed before a figure slowly trudged around the corner, one street down from where Judy sat.

"Nick!"

Judy was up in a flash and scampered towards the fox. But as she neared him, she slowed, confusion dawning on her when Nick shuffled into a nearby building. Nick leaned on it with his shoulders slumped and head down. The moment passed, and Judy ran faster than before, skidding to a stop before him.

"Are you alright, mi amor?" Judy asked, taking one of his arms and placing it over her shoulders to support her love on their way to a nearby chair. To her surprise, Nick shrugged off the gesture, though he slumped into the chair with a haggard expression in his eyes. "Nicholas, what happened?"

An eternity passed as his gaze crept towards hers. The one word he spoke only caused her more confusion.

"History."

"History?" she repeated. "What history?"

Nick remained silent, blinking slowly as if waking from a trance. "We should be leaving," he said suddenly, pushing himself to his feet. As if he were an ice statue in the Pawnoran desert, the coldness of his expression melted, revealing his regular smirk. "I'm sure I've kept you waiting long enough for this venture to begin, no?"

Before Judy could comment, Nick sauntered off, hefting a bag over his shoulder. Ake'cheta looked between the pair as Judy jogged after Nick, lugging her own supplies over her shoulder and pestering the fox about his tardiness. The coyote sighed.

"This is going to be a long trip..."

* * *

The study was quiet as the ewe reclined in her soft, squeaking rocking chair. For all intents and purposes, she should be happy with herself and their plans. Zorro was dead, that fool Wilde cowed into submission once more, that pathetically annoying rabbit dismissed from the army and her lackey in charge of Fort Zootopia. Everything seemed as it should be.

Yet she still seethed.

Her hooves were dug into the wooden armrests of the chair, and several glasses lay shattered on the floor, their expensive and intoxicating contents downed by an angry Bellwether. She had thought that crashing the fool of a fox's gala would improve her mood, especially when she'd let her assassin know that Zorro would be there. It was going to be exciting to see that fox finally bested and slaughtered like the pelt he was.

Instead, she had foolishly opened that bottle of wine to celebrate early.  _Its_  remains still rested in the corner, obliterated when she had returned without her wool.

"My wool..." Bellwether muttered, shivering as she drew her warm, cotton cowl around her more tightly. It may have been summer, but without her precious wool, it felt like winter. An enraged growl spilled from her lips as she kicked her legs against the chair in frustration, banging her hooves on the armrest.

"Those estupido foxes!" she roared before adding, "Those estupido tigres!" Her ire at her guards when she'd awoke from her nap was all-encompassing. How  _dare_  they allow her... _her!_...to be shorn like that.

"I hope they learned their lesson..." she spat as she slammed a hoof onto the armrest once more. A jolt of pain went through her arm as her hoof hit wrong, chipping part of its polished edge. "Oh, oww! Oww!"

Bellwether placed her hoof into her mouth, sucking on the broken bit to stem the pain.

The door to her office burst open.

"Magistrate!"

"Gah!"

Bellwether jolted backwards, nearly tipping over the rocking chair in the process. Her hoof caught in her mouth, gagging her as the tiger at the door grimaced.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"You blithering idiot!" she growled, coughing on her hoof.

 _I'm so going to get an atadura de lengua over this..._ the tiger thought as he saw Bellwether spit out her own hoof, throwing him an incendiary glare.

"What is it?" Bellwether growled.

The tiger glanced at the message in his paws, then back towards the sheep, wondering if this had been a good idea. "Er...its..."

"Spit it out already you dumb depredador!"

With eyes narrowing slightly, the tiger paced into the room and held the bound parchment out to the sheep, who snatched it with her hoof before waving him away. Slicing open the seal with her good hoof, she scanned the contents eagerly.

The tiger had turned to leave and had almost made it to the door when an ear-piercing screech stopped him in his tracks and had his paws shooting to his ears.

"They are doing... _WHAT!"_

The ewe shredded the paper, then tossed it onto the chair she sat on. Leaping up, she stomped on the pieces, jostling the chair further. After wobbling back and forth, her foot caught on the blanket that had covered it and she tumbled to the floor in an ungainly heap.

The tiger took a hesitant step forward as the sheep adjusted her glasses. "Um, magistrate?"

The glare she sent him stopped the larger predator in his tracks.

"Find them... _kill_ them!" she growled.

"Uh, who?"

Bellwether's teeth grinded against each other. "Don Wilde...Hopps... _ALL OF THEM!_ " she roared. "Find the Los Tres Amigos Asesinos and lead them to El Foso de la Desesperación with all due haste. We  _can't_  let that bunny and fox get there alive."

"They're heading there?" the tiger gasped. "By themselves?"

"Of course they are you idiot! I just told you they were!" Bellwether yelled. "Now do as I say or else I'll have to write another letter to You-Know-Who about another visit to your cubs! Hmm?"

The tiger took a step back and blanched. "Yes, Magistrate. At once, Magistrate." He rushed towards the door.

"One more thing..."

He turned to see the most wicked smile he'd ever seen on Bellwether's face. "When you find them, don't kill them immediately. Bring them to me so I can slice their throats myself. Comprende?"

The tiger nodded, stating a quick, "Yes, Magistrate." before leaving the room quickly. Bellwether growled as she kicked at the chair, watching it rock back and forth.

"Great...now this..." she grumbled as she headed towards the stairwell. "Now I'm going to have to let  _him_  know that all our plans could be ruined if they find them..."

* * *

Two days...

It took two days for Nick to finally speak again. Two, long, agonizing days of quiet that had infuriated Judy. But she held her tongue, the glazed look in Nick's eyes keeping her from prying too much into his current state of listlessness. Instead, she pondered her own revelations, worries and wonders as she imagined Nick was doing the same. They still held paws when they could along the trail, with Nick giving her hopeful glances and Judy wishing he would open up. But every glance ended with silence as they plodded on.

The quiet, usually something Ake'cheta enjoyed immensely as it allowed for self-reflection, instead created a palpable tension in the air. At around noon of the second day, he finally broke the awkward silence.

"In order to know my ancestors well, I sat in silence for three days to commune with them."

Two sets of ears perked towards him, and eyes followed to give him odd stares.

"You two must have gotten to know your ancestors very well by now."

The bunny's and fox's ears dropped once more.

"A lot on my mind," both said at once.

Ake'cheta chuckled. "They speak and in unison. You must have formed quite the bond while silent."

"Sorry," Nick muttered softly. His gaze caught Judy's. "My father kind of hit me with a proverbial mudslide and overwhelmed me. It has been ill of me to treat you so coldly these past two days, mi amor."

"It's okay," Judy said, grabbing his paw as they walked. "Whatever you had learned, I guessed you were still putting it together. I didn't want to bug you about it until you were ready."

A glimmer of hope sparkled in Nick's eyes. "Thank you, Zanahorias. Though this might take some time to sort out."

While not watching where he was looking, as he was too busy staring into the eyes of the one he loved, Nick plowed into the back of Ake'cheta.

"Well," the coyote said, sniffing the air. "You have five minutes to explain."

"Huh?" Judy asked, jumping ahead of the coyote to peer down the path, ears flicking this way and that. "Why?"

"Because by then, five banditos, wolves among others, will be arriving. The stench of death is heavy upon them."

Judy's paw quickly went to the hilt of her blade. "Only five?" she asked.

Nick walked back to Judy's side as Ake'cheta turned his head to look at them. "That is the scouting party. Many more are behind them. Several dozen by my wager."

"Only?" Judy repeated.

"Judy." Nick's voice was warning and heavy. "I don't think even you could take on that many at once, despite your overwhelming abilities to the contrary."

Judy went to reply but halted, new thoughts coming to the forefront. Licking a single finger, she raised it to the sky and waited several seconds. "The wind is at our backs. How can you tell, Ake'cheta?"

The coyote grinned. "Call it...intuition, little one."

"Hey!" Judy scoffed.

"At least he didn't call you cute," Nick chuckled nervously.

She shot the fox a death glare. "Nick…"

"Yes, beloved?"

Judy floundered under the loving gaze Nick sent her way. "I...uh..." Finally huffing in defeat, she pointed a finger at the fox. "I want you to head up the hill. I already know you'll be no good in a fight against that many, and I don't want you hurt."

Nick's eyes widened. "And you're going to face them all alone?"

"I've taken down just as many before," she shot back.

"When?"

"Taking down the Po Gang just a few weeks ago."

"That was just ten mammals!"

"There were...wait..." Judy paused, eyelids lowering. "How did you know how many mammals were there?"

"I know everyone," Nick shot back timidly.

"No," Judy pressed. "There were only 12 mammals in that room. "Ten gang members..."

Nick took a step back while holding out his paws. "Hopps, now don't jump to any conclusions..."

"...myself..." Judy took a step towards him, eyes narrowing and a finger jabbing into his chest.

"Judy...now please, I can explain..."

Nick was silenced when Judy's sword landed at his throat, her gaze as cold as ice and strong as steel.

"And Zorro."

A silence settled between the three mammals. The forest itself quieted, the rustling of leaves in the wind vacant.

"Why..."

Nick froze at the demand, as there was no question involved in what Judy said. He hadn't felt this trapped in years, staring down the bunny's blade into two, hard, questioning eyes. Unfortunately for him, his silver tongued answered.

"Now that is a very open-ended question, Carrots, and I'm sure there are a lot of... _answers..."_  The last word came out more of a squeak as the blade tip was pushed deeper into his throat.

"You've been lying to me since the day we met..." Judy pursued, stepping forward as he stepped back until he tripped on a branch. Tumbling backwards, he was surprised to find that Judy's blade has followed his fall, barely flicking away from his fur. The steel tip was now pressed even closer until it hurt to gulp, the metal prodding him with each breath he took.

He looked back up into Judy's eyes and was surprised. Tears streamed from each. From the moment he had chosen to hustle the bunny, to when he knew he had fallen for her... _this_  was the moment he feared the most. He had betrayed her trust, utterly and in the most terrible way possible. He saw the swirling mixture of anger and overwhelming despair in her eyes, and he recognized her emotions for what they were.

His double life had taught him those emotions all too well.

_I need to tell her everything..._

Nick gathered his thoughts. "Judy-"

"You do  _not_  get to 'Judy' me, Don Wilde," Judy snarled, hiding the cracking of her voice. "Only friends of mine can call me by my name."

"But..."

Judy pressed the blade closer, a pinprick of blood appearing as she leaned towards him. "You betrayed me," she whimpered, and Nick could practically hear the pounding of her heart as her tears dripped onto his tunic. "Everything you led me to believe was a lie. And your cousin  _died_  for your arrogance and selfishness."

Judy saw Nick physically shrink into himself. Ears wilted, eyes refused to meet her gaze any further and his tail, which had been twitching shrunk to the ground and stilled. The pity that coursed through him doused the flames of her anger a little, only for them to flare up again immediately after. Her emotions waged a war with each other. The logical side of her mind wanted, nay demanded, that there be justice for what he had done to her. The fox laying before her had led her on in the most hurtful of ways, halted her lifelong ambitions and destroyed her dream...and he was at her mercy to deal the justice a criminal like him deserved. Her blade pressed forward as a hiss of pain came from the fox.

Judy paused as her mind reeled against her paw's action, almost as if a physical force kept her from finishing what justice demanded she perform.

_What has he gone through?_

It was a simple question, yet so profound that Judy had to blink as it arose in her mind. That empathy...the side of Judy her mother always praised her for as a kit, asked for mercy for Nicholas. To empathize with him.

That she was not the only victim in all this.

The fox had been battling against corrupt Capitáns for years before she arrived. Had seen the destruction of an entire village of his friends and kin, and had no reason to trust her at all. Yet he not only helped her in cleaning out the town of the more villainous rogues – something she had realized a week into her stay in the city – but had only once struck her, and even then, had sought to help her immediately.

And when not as Zorro, he had been with her, helping her learn about the city, growing in her love of its citizens and people. Of its culture and life that sprung from it. To help the mammals there realize their own dreams. He wasn't an arrogant son of a Don like she had the displeasure of meeting several times before in her life. She'd heard the stories of what he did for the poor. Even his entire villa was crafted with helping the city in mind. From its vast gardens and orchards, to the high wages he paid and the parties he held to bless the townspeople's lives.

_But he lied to you! Misled you! Betrayed you!_

_True..._ Judy thought, focusing again on the tod who had not moved from the ground before her.  _He is no saint..._

_Then do it! Reclaim your rank and standing!_

Judy dispelled the voice of vengeance in her mind.

... _but he is also no demon._

With her mind made up, she glared down at the don, who she noticed also had tears staining his fur. "I am going to need time to even think of us as friends again," Judy proclaimed as she lowered her sword.

A cough sounded behind them. "Time," Ake'cheta began, "is something we do not have much of."

"Right..." Judy went to turn, but found her paw caught in Nick's grasp.

"Judy," he began, his voice cracking. "I know you'll need time. And I doubt at this point that I'm even worth being forgiven for what I've done to you."

Judy felt frozen in place, Nick's words causing her breath to hitch and her heartbeat to quicken as he continued.

"But..." he began, stopping as he wiped at his eyes, "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't either. I have hurt you in the worst fashion imaginable. I have destroyed any and all trust you should ever hold in me. Now, or in the future. For as noble a doe that I've ever seen in my life, Judith Hopps, after what I have done, I do not deserve to even see your smile again and would gladly leave everything I own behind if that was your desire."

Judy felt her paw trembling, her attempt to hold onto her sword failing with each emotion-laced word Nick spoke.

"But..." Nick leaned forward onto his knees, pointing down the road, to the sounds of many armored paws clanking against cloth, wood and metal. "Let me at least prove to you that my love for you was never a lie."

"Wh-what...?" Judy stammered.

"Let me defend you with my life," he said calmly. "Then after we're done, I will walk away if that is your desire, and you'll be correct in your assumptions that I was nothing more than a shifty, no good fox."

Barely a moment passed between the two after his statement. They caught each other's gazes, seeing the sorrow in their expressions. Both realized the other was trying, and with the sound of hooves and paws growing louder, that was enough for them.

Judy jumped at Nick, sobbing loudly, sword clacking to the ground as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The tod did likewise, patting the rabbit on her back as he pulled her tighter, whispering, 'I'm sorry,' over and over again.

The soft crunching of gravel threatened the moment, as did the heavy paw that came down on both their shoulders.

"As much as I hate to interrupt," Ake'cheta began. "But we're all going to be dead in a minute if you two can't go from blubbering messes to the Zorro and Capitán Hopps I know and respect."

"Right," both of the formerly crying mammals repeated at the same time, earning a raised eyebrow from the coyote. The larger predator reached down and picked up Judy's sword before passing it over to her.

"We're not through here, Nicholas," Judy reprimanded. "I still will want answers from you and you better have some good ones if you think we'll still be together after this."

"And you will get them," Nick replied as he unshouldered his pack. Finding a long, wrapped cloth, he reached inside and pulled out a black scabbard with gold tailoring along its length. "But for now..." he continued, nodding his head down the road several hundred yards. Nearly two dozen mammals were jogging up the road towards them. Several of the wolves broke into howls as they stormed forward, their leaders near the back urging them forward.

Nick pulled his sword from its scabbard, the sunlight glistening off its polished edge like the dawn as he stood besides Judy. Ake'cheta pulled two hatchets where they hung from his sides, eyes focused on the oncoming storm of mammals.

Nick chose that moment to look down at the rabbit he loved and hoped she would be able to forgive him fully one day. She nodded back at him as he offered a few final words. "...We fight for Zootopia."

* * *

**AN: Happy New Year! So I didn't get this out by Christmas, but, this chapter was _hard_  to find a balance at the end there. So yep...Judy knows, now, lets hope they can deal with all these banditos so she can deal with Nick afterwards. XD**

**Also, a few movie easter eggs in this, so let me know if you find them, or all of them! ;)**

**Translations**

Aqua fresca de pepino - Cucumber water

Xu-shum (kuh shoom)- Trouble maker

Zanahorias - Carrots

Capitán - Captain

estupido - stupid

atadura de lengua _\- tongue lashing_

depredador - predator

El Foso de la Desesperación - The Pit of Despair


	37. En Garde

**Chapter 37 - En Garde**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

**Artwork by Knoton**

** **

* * *

"So, how do we want to do this?"

The fox was watching the oncoming horde with a slight bit of nervousness. Several had crossbows they were loading at the back of the group. Most seemed much better trained than your average trail thug.

Next to him, the coyote warrior huffed. "Easy. One at a time until they've all met their maker." Nick watched the larger canine's grip tighten on his twin tomahawks.

"I don't kill," Nick shot back. Ake'cheta shrugged.

"Then I'll make sure to bury you when these mammals decide to do what you cannot."

"Well, that's a solid plan," Nick replied with a huff before turning to Judy. "Judy, what do you...think..."

Judy was gone. In her place was an empty trail, only scuff marks from her feet showing she had run off. His tail puffed out as he frantically searched the nearby area. "Hopps! Judy!"

_ka-thwick_

The noise of the crossbow being fired had him instinctively ducking, the missile shooting the bolero off his head.

"That was my best hat..." Nick muttered as he jumped back up to his feet, the first mammals reaching his position. The clashing of metal next to him and a quick glance showed that Ake'cheta was already engaged with a deer. Before he could dwell on that fight, he raised his own sword, blocking a downward slash from a bull elk; the weight of the blow nearly sent him onto his back in the dirt. Instead of eating dirt, he turned his hilt, letting the elks' much more massive blade slide along his own sword's length to the fox's left, a shower of sparks lighting the air between them before its tip slammed the earth.

The larger mammal grunted at the vibrations sent up his hoof and into his arm. With the slight opening, Nick sliced the sword forward, cutting through the elk's belt like butter before rolling to his right as the elk followed the fox with his blade.

"Woahahaha!"

Nick grinned as he heard a pained bugle from the elk behind him. Taking a quick look behind revealed the overextended mammal, pants along his feet and the mammal on the ground, dizzy from his fall. "You belted that out quite well," Nick sassed before blocking a thrust from a coyote. The two mammals dueled until a third mammal announced itself. Neighing loudly, as the two smaller canids had their swords locked, the horse swung downward with a broadsword at the fox. Eyes widened as Nick grabbed the coyote by his lapel and jumped past him, feet first on the coyote's left, throwing the larger mammal off balance.

The coyote spun on his heels in a circle, yipping loudly as a horse's blade sliced through his tail, neatly trimming the fur down its length.. Nick used the distraction to its fullest. Turning swiftly, he kicked the coyote in the chest, knocking him into the horse's blade, catching the flat side full on with his back. The guard on the horses' sword, a large sphere strapped to his hoof, snapped like a twig as the extra weight broke the ties that held it to the equine's arm.

"Down!"

Recognizing Ake'cheta's voice, Nick ducked as a throwing knife sized for a bear whizzed overhead, the blade striking the flustered horse in its right shoulder and knocking him to the ground.

"Thank you!" Nick yelled over the din of battle, narrowly avoiding a second throwing knife from the black bear advancing on him. Nick looked around him and saw Ake'cheta struggling against two cheetahs, blocking their swords with his tomahawks. The fox grinned as he saw a small piece of wood on the ground. Flicking it with his sword edge sent the branch skyward, and with a second flick, Nick shot it at the head of one of the cheetahs.

The feline straightened, grip on his sword loosening as he stumbled into the side of his comrade. The coyote grinned, eyes alighting in a greenish fire as he jumped and swung the blunt sides of his tomahawks into the sides of their heads.

Both cats crumpled to the dirt, stupid grins on their faces. Nick and Ake'cheta nodded once at each other before the assault renewed.

As Nick fought off a leopard and moose, one thought kept repeating through his mind.

_Where's Judy?_

* * *

Judy was running. The sound of the battle behind her caused the ache inside her to grow exponentially. She had to remind herself she wasn't fleeing, but setting up for the only way any of them would survive this many bandits attacking them.

As the rabbit climbed the hill, she kept her eyes focused on her objective. Thirty feet from her, and about a hundred feet up the hill, the rotten remains of a log lay wedged against a rock. The tree, an old pine by the look of it, groaned at the task of remaining on the hillside, the boulder the only thing keeping it from tumbling onto the path below.

She decided to liberate it from its quandary.

Reaching the pine, Judy looked around for anything she could use as leverage. She spotted a large, sturdy branch nearby and grabbed it. She edged her way along the tree before slamming the limb into the ground behind the boulder. Crawling out from underneath the log, Judy's attention was drawn to a cry from below.

"Nick!"

She caught the fox wincing as he grabbed his right arm while kicking away a muskrat. He barely managed to block a pronghorn's thrust, allowing the sword to pass in between his left arm and body. Clasping down on the blade with his arm, Nick slammed the pommel of his blade three times into the ram's skull, attempting to stun the mammal only to be headbutted away.

 _I've got to hurry.._.

Judy moved around the boulder on its downhill side and began digging. Soil and plant refuse flew behind her as she toiled until the large boulder groaned, the tree behind it snapping once, then twice. The boulder slid slightly as Judy jumped out of the way, but halted only inches lower on the hillside.

_ka-thwick_

Judy's back arched and she let out a cry as a surge of pain shot through her body. The doe felt her knees wobble slightly, the crossbow bolt nicking one of the more sensitive spots on her body, her right ear.

"Aww, nuts!"

Judy whirled, spotting the bobcat thirty feet away reloading his weapon. She watched him and when he looked down to reload, she charged. When he looked up again, aiming his weapon at the spot where the bunny  _had_  been, she'd vanished from his sight.

"Where'd she go?"

"Looking for me?"

The bobcat spun, firing blindly but missing as he saw the rabbit doe leap at him, jumping over the bolt as it flew beneath her. The feline could only mutter a quick ' _Guau!'_  as he watched the bunny's body turn. Her poise and elegance was marred by the anger in her eyes as she brought her right foot around full force from her spin directly into the stunned bobcat's face. The cat rocketed down the hill, skidding several times on the dirt before being sent flying into the crowded fiasco below.

Judy was already sprinting back up the hill towards the lever that she hoped would level the playing field and maybe, just maybe, save all their lives.

* * *

Nick danced around the lion's attacks, grimacing while avoiding the veritable mountain of a sword the feline was wielding. The road, thankfully narrow, meant that few mammals could attack them at once, but also meant that their enemies just kept coming. Thankfully none had rushed past them to surround them, but Nick and Ake'cheta were losing ground quickly against the flood of banditos.

In his eyes, a miracle happened. As he went to dodge another blow, a bullet of fur and cloth slammed into the side of the lion's head, nearly becoming invisible in the mammal's large mane. Nick used the opportunity to rush the male lion and do the one thing he knew how to put him out of commission, rearing his leg for a kick.

"Perdóneme por esto," Nick apologized as he slammed his foot between the lion's legs. The feline dropped his sword as his yowl turned into high-pitched mewling. Nick, Ake'cheta and most of the canines in the air winced, the wolves in the bandit group suffering the most from the high pitched whine as the lion dropped to his knees. Nick wasted no time and, fighting through his own pain, took several steps back. He rushed the lion, jumped, and using the mammals head as a springboard, leapt at a moose behind him.

The bull's eyes widened at the russet-furred comet speeding towards him. Nick used the moose's antlers as any gymnast would. Grabbing the outermost antler, he spun fully once, then as he neared the second turn, let go and shot his feet into the face of a bear. A satisfying crunch sounded from the maneuver as the bear stumbled back, clutching his nose. Nick, still standing on the bear's head, grunted and pushed off the bear's face, sending the ursine onto his backside while Nick now shot backwards past the confused moose who was coming to the aid of his friend.

While flying past the moose, Nick sliced the bull's belt. Using it as a swing, he yanked it off and used it as a whip, snapping it across the larger mammal's backside.

Bellowing in rage, the moose swung his hoof towards the fox, only to knock over two wolves and a deer that had tried following the vulpine.

Nick ran back in front of the downed lion, who was still mewling like a kitten, panting heavily. Ake'cheta was faring better, though the aura he was giving off, that unearthly green glow, caused most of the bandits to avoid fighting the terrifying animal.

"Ow!"

Nick jumped onto his left foot as pain stabbed through his right. Holding his foot, he spotted a gerbil swinging from the tiny sword that had impaled the fox's foot. Growling in annoyance, Nick yanked the mammal and sword from his paw and tossed the animal into the crowd of bandits coming towards him. The small mammal bounced off the head of a beaver, knocking the beaver out cold as he rolled to a stop and tumbled atop the fox. Nick groaned at the now dead weight atop him as a deer behind the beaver, wearing an odd black uniform, glared at the fox.

"You rebel scum!" he shouted as she rushed the smaller mammal.

Nick raised a brow in confusion. "Really? Rebel scum? That's all you can come up with?" Nick stated as he tried shoving the beaver off him. With the deer almost on top of him, Nick did the only thing he could and grabbed the beaver's tail.

"Sorry about this!" Nick shouted to the unconscious mammal as he brought the flat appendage in front of him just as the deer struck.

"Gah!" Nick pulled back as the blade nearly stabbed his muzzle after piercing the beaver's tail. The deer jerked on the sword, pulling the beaver from atop the fox and allowing Nick to escape as the deer flailed, trying to remove his sword from his compatriot's tail.

"Inconceivable," the deer muttered, before dropping his sword and pulling a bowie knife from his belt, which to Nick was nearly as long as his own sword. The deer leapt forward, engaging the fox as their blades danced. Nick led the deer backward, enveloping the mammal's blade and flicking it to the side.

The deer looked at his empty hoof. "Inconceivable."

Nick grinned as he panted. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." With a soft flick of his blade, Nick sliced one of the deer's cheeks, startling the mammal. Too stunned at the move, he didn't have time to react as Nick crushed the hilt of his sword into the mammal's head, knocking him out.

Breathing heavily, Nick held up his blade to deflect another assault by a wolf. Nick twisted in place, blocking a forward stab from the wolf in front of him. Twisting his body in a fluid motion, he grabbed the bandit's paw and twisted under his arm, wrenching the wolf's sword from his paw in the process. Ending the step behind the now astonished mammal, Nick slammed the hilt of his blade into the bandit's head.

The mammal slumped to the ground motionless as a new voice bellowed out from the back lines of the bandit group.

"EVERYBODY MOOOOOOOVE!"

The battlefield fell silent, a large path created as mammals moved aside to allow a hulking rhino covered with armor to advance on the two canines holding the path.

"This won't be good..." Nick muttered, trying to keep his legs from wobbling from his exertion during the battle.

Ake'cheta nodded but grinned. "Ah, I sense a change in our fortunes."

Nick's ears perked. "Really? Think he'll," Nick pointed at the rhino, "surrender peacefully?"

The path fell into silence as the rhino halted a dozen feet from the two mammals. "You two fought well," he said in a gruff tone, eyeing the fallen and groaning mammals around his feet. "But there is a time for everyone to die, and today's the day you pay the piper."

"What for?" Nick joked. "He's only ever played sour notes for me."

Nick chuckled for what might be his last time as the rhino pulled a large chain from his back. Two massive cannonballs attached at each end of the makeshift bola, making the fox gulp as the rhino began spinning them expertly.

"Nick...need some help?!"

Every mammal's eyes were brought to the top of the hill as a rumbling filled the air.

"Ay caramba..." Nick gasped at the site of a massive log crashing its way down the hill, bringing with it a flood of smaller rocks, debris and refuse in a natural landslide.

The fox shot backward, landing on his tail and yelped at the sudden pain. He clawed his way backwards, flipping over to jump the rest of the way as the massive log thundered down the hill towards the group below. A group, which now attempted to scatter out of the log's way on the clogged path. The snapping of small trees and crunch of rocks drew closer as the log crashed into a line of them, bowling them over as easily as a rhino crushing matchsticks.

Hitting a large stone, the massive log flew into the air, twisting as it went. The now spinning wooden projectile slammed into the rhino, knocking it backward into several other mammals, pushing them off the path and rolling down the hill as the log tumbled after them.

The eerie silence that followed the shocking scene was nearly as gut-wrenching as the scene itself. Nearly a dozen mammals had been knocked to the ground, limbs bent at unnatural angles while pitiful, moaning whines filled the air. The rhino's eyes rolled backwards as he twisted and fell into the mammals who had huddled behind him for protection. The three wolves, panther, gemsbok and ram had no chance as the rhino toppled into them. The massive mammal shook the ground as the screams of his fellow banditos filled the air.

Nick and Ake'cheta watched as a crack in the pathway appeared beneath the bulky beast, the ground fracturing, growing and slipping down the hill towards the river below. With a groan, the earth gave way, and soil, path, mammal and flora sped down the hill, disappearing into the river below with splashes and sprays of water.

The mammals that remained standing had their attention brought to the line of destruction the falling log had created. Nick let out a sigh of relief as he saw Judy walking slowly down the path of destruction looking every bit a siren of death, singing a song to lure the remaining bandits to their doom as her voice mesmerized them in their silent fear.

"You  _mammals_..."

Her words flowed like ice through each bandit's blood, freezing them in place while several more whimpers were heard as the remaining marauders cowered before the livid bunny. Judy's eyes shone like fire, crackling with anger as she advanced down the hill, her blade drawing a line in the sandy dirt beside her.

"...have interrupted a  _very_  important conversation I was having with my fox."

* * *

Judy tugged on the rope, securing it tight against the tree. The strangled 'urrfs' and groans didn't bother her as she made sure the knot was tight. Dusting her paws, she glared at the mostly unconscious or slightly awake mammals before walking away from the tree, passing several others where the rest of the bandits were tied up. Out of the nearly twenty mammals that attacked them, only seven were left on the road, the rest falling into the river below thanks to the log Judy had shoved atop them.

Nick was busy securing the final rope around the second tree-full of banditos when she approached. "Well, looks like a job well done, Carro-oof!"

Her nicknamed died on his lips when she grabbed the back of his jacket collar and yanked. Nick tumbled backward, yelping as she dragged him along the ground, across the road and far enough away from the tied-up thugs for them to hear her.

"Now..." Judy dropped Nick to the ground and stood on his chest, jabbing her finger into his face. "We are going to finish our little chat that those bandits so rudely interrupted."

Nick's eyes were crossed staring at the finger between them. "I thought we worked it out?"

Judy shook her head. "We worked out the  _basics_  so that I wouldn't permanently hurt you for what you did to me and our relationship. But we still have  _a lot_  to discuss"

Nick gulped as she continued.

"Now," she declared, sitting down harshly on his chest as she glared at him. "We're going to go over every single detail of why you ever thought it was a clever idea to lie to me, then date me while living a lie, as well as every action you took during that time. You don't seem to understand,  _yet,_  how much you toyed with my heart. However, I am willing to forgive you because looking back, I should have recognized that you were struggling with something. At times it appeared you wanted to let me know what it was that was bothering you. That forgiveness, however, is based upon your truthfulness here, comprende?"

Nick nodded.

Judy's glare intensified. "Good. Now...I may know why you decided to be Zorro, but we're going to go over exactly why it was such a horrendous idea for you to continue to play this double life with both our feelings on the line. No excuses, just reasons, or else you will be tied to those trees with the bandits. We are going to start with this."

Pointing at her cheek, Nick winced as he saw the thin lines of scars from the lantern he had smashed into her face. The same guilt that flooded him back then, filled him again now as the doe folded her arms across her chest.

"I was scared."

A raised eyebrow was the rabbit's response, but when she stayed silent, he continued. "I didn't believe that Zootopia was ready to be Zorro-less. I had done this for so long, and fought so hard, I...I just believed I would have to do this forever."

Nick let out a heavy sigh, harder with the weight on his chest, both physically and emotionally. "I should have realized how wrong I was. That it wasn't me that the city needed then." He raised his eyes, daring to look Judy in the eye. Her expression was featureless. Just a furrowed brow and a locked gaze with his, so he continued. "As soon as you arrived, I could have hung up the blade. I should have recognized that, and as I spent time with you I...I was coming to realize that."

A shiver coursed through Nick's body. "The memory of the night I did that to you, to someone I adored, was the most painful, selfish and small-minded thing I've ever done. You didn't deserve it, but I was scared and hurt you in the process." A trickling tear matted the fur beneath his eyes as he looked up at the mammal he adored. "I hurt you, and you suffered due to my mistakes. My egoísmo is what caused it, and I doubt that any apology I could make would heal the scars I have sundered our relationship with. And if you wanted to...to tie me to a tree and leave me with these banditos, I would understand completely. You were right all along, Judy, mi amor. Zorro really is an insufferable, selfish fox."

Nick lowered his stare, not daring any more to look into his beloved's eyes. Just thinking of the moment he had hurt her, scarred her for life, was too unbearable. He hadn't gotten any sleep that night, and still, weeks later, he woke up in the middle of the night, panting and frightened of Judy abandoning him due to the hurt he caused her.

Nick felt warmth against his cheek. Raising his eyes, he saw Judy wiping away the tears matting against his fur, a soft, warm smile that was so... _Judy_.

"Don't worry, tu estúpido Zorro," she said, her amethyst eyes sparkling with tears themselves. "While scars may stay, the heart can always heal through love and trust built anew."

"You're too good to me," Nick hiccuped, attempting a laugh as his emotions overflowed his mind and body. "And I'll have to remember that phrase and the beautiful bunny who said it."

Judy laughed. "Mi madre will be happy to hear that."

Both mammals smiled, recognizing their bond not only healing, but growing anew. Nick couldn't be more grateful for a mammal as empathetic as Judy. She not only had forgiven him his faults and rudeness towards her, something he felt was unforgivable, but she openly empathized with his plight. Nick's heart swelled with a growing love for the rabbit. Though he still worried about how his past would affect their relationship, and if she had truly forgiven him, she had told him not to worry. And that if his apology was heartfelt, which it was, then she'd accept him once more.

For Judy, she was glad to see Nick opening up completely, finally shedding his past and looking at the future. No longer did he have to hide his secrets from her, or live with the fear he had been holding within. He was a free mammal and during their time alone after Ake'cheta left, Judy told him what Valorie had said to her about Zorro and his motives. She admitted she still wanted to hate him right after that conversation with the feline, but later came to understand the struggles Nick went through. And with Nick's heartfelt apology, forgave him fully, mending the seams of their relationship once more

Their honest and frank conversation had given both mammals the answers they needed and gave them hope for the now, as well as for their future...together.

With both satisfied from their conversation , they began delving into each other's history, yearning to know more about the other mammal, and Judy still had questions for the fox regarding his antics since they had met.

Straightening her back, she moved a little further away from Nick's face as she leaned back on her arms atop his chest as they talked.

* * *

Ake'cheta covered his eyes and looked at the sun, then back at the bunny who, after an hour, was still berating Don Wilde. At first the coyote had thought it funny, a fox cowering before a bunny as they went over their differences and Judy getting Nick to realize all his betrayals and errors.

But that had been only the first fifteen minutes. The next fifteen brought more frustration than humor, so he had scouted ahead.

Upon his return just now, nearly an hour after she had forced the fox into his own sort of confessional that even a priest would be proud of, Judy was still at it. Though at some point it seems she had noticed his injuries, and he spotted hers as well, as several strips of white fabric speckled red were wrapped around Judy's ear and Nick's foot.

He was growing nervous. They were taking too long being in one place and open to another attack. Though he knew how important this conversation they were having was to their plans. It was only when one of the wolves tied to a tree tried to escape that Ake'cheta had to intervene. A thrown tomahawk implanting itself into a tree mere inches from the wolf's muzzle stopped him in his tracks. Ake'cheta's aura did the rest and the wolf fainted, making it easy to tie him to another tree by himself.

At least, the coyote felt his compadres would enjoy the wolf being tied to his own tree after the mess he made in his pantalones while trying to escape. Walking over to the bunny and fox, both seeming much calmer than earlier, almost friendly again. Judy sat back on Nick's chest, leaning back on her arms while he was leaning up to look at her better, he got their attention with a cough.

Two sets of ears and eyes swiveled in his direction.

"We need to be going before any more try to escape and alert more to our presence."

Judy's ears flew up and she groaned. "Oh no..." Judy realized how much time had passed when she looked up at the sun. Leaping off Nick's chest, drawing a grunt from the fox, she paused, turning around to help him up with a lent paw. Nick gratefully accepted it, holding it for a moment longer as he and Judy shared a smile.

"Are you two done?"

"Yes, one hundred percent."

"Yes, yes we are."

Ake'cheta nodded. "Then we have several miles to make up for lost time, on top of the miles we need to travel. We'll be running until dark to a place I know we can be safe from wapchey eyes."

The two remade friends nodded. After gathering several of their dropped items, as well as some of the throwing daggers, an arbalest and a dropped satchel of bolts, they went off after the coyote native, leaving the site of battle and reconciliation behind.

* * *

**AN: Spanish words (hopefully I got them all listed here, if not, please let me know and I'll add them)**

**banditos - bandits**

**Guau - Wow**

**Perdóneme por esto - Sorry about this**

**Comprende - Understand**

**Compadre - friend**

**egoísmo -selfishness**

**tu estúpido zorro - you dumb fox**

**mi madre - my mom**

**Pantalones - pants**

**Wapchey (language: Sahaptin) - Villain**

**I hope that you all enjoyed this fight sequence. It was a beast to write, but so, _so_  much fun. :D**


	38. Tales of the Fox

**Chapter 38 - Tales of a Fox**

**Edited by Democrasaurus Rex & Euphonemes**

**AN: Happy Birthday Zootopia! *blows into kazoo* Today marks the TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Zootopia coming out in theaters, and my two year old addiction to it. XD So I wanted to celebrate by updating my stories today for you all. I hope everyone also takes some time to remember the message of the film and how it impacted you. What you loved about it and how it has brought this community together. So lets all celebrate this amazing film, and here's to even more years for our community! :)**

**AAN: Here are some nautical terms that you'll need to know for this chapter. Also, warning, this chapter will be at the high limit of a T rating for violence. Seriously, this is what naval warfare is like so...yeah. Ye be warned.**

**Port: Left side of a ship facing forward**

**Starboard: Right side of the ship facing forward**

**Stern: Backside of the ship facing forward.**

**Bow: Front of the ship.**

**Aft: The backside of a ship.**

**AAAN: Also, there is a shoutout to an amazing story written by an amazing author in this chapter. So if you find it, let me know. ;)**

* * *

It was nearing sunset by the time Ake'cheta halted their jog. The golden orb hung low over the horizon, tendrils of orange and red bathing the pine forest.

"Was wondering when we'd stop," Nick panted as he walked to a nearby log and collapsed upon it. "Calling it a night?"

The coyote shook his head. "No, we're building a shelter for tonight. Too many prying eyes searching for us now to continue."

Judy glanced at the path they'd taken. The forest had decreased heavily in volume. Instead of trees blocking the growth of shrubs underneath their thick canopy, there were more bushes than cedar trees. Thickets of rough and course shrubberies dotted the landscape, interspersed among mounds of boulders and craggy, rough-hewn rock faces. She didn't spy any place she could call a shelter for three mammals, even smaller ones of their sizes.

Until she looked up, and her muzzle widened in a grin.

"Perfect."

"I know you are," Nick chuckled, earning a frown from the rabbit. He held his paws up in surrender. "Sorry, too soon?"

"Yes," both Judy and Ake'cheta spoke at once. Nick's ears lowered as he went silent. Walking off the path, Judy climbed up a small rockslide, ambling quickly from rock to rock before clambering to the top, where a thin but manageable path lay.

Judy called down to the two canines below who were watching her curiously. "I think I found where we can shelter. There looks to be a small cave up here."

The two predators took a much more careful climb up to the bunny's roost, several rocks slipping under their weight. Once they reached the top, Judy guided them along the cliff edge, barely wide enough for a wolf, until they found a deep indentation in the rocks. Nick grinned.

"Clever bunny," he stated as he glanced around the ledge they were on. "Only two ways up here, the rockslide or this ledge." He peered further down the cliff side, satisfied by the long, thin path that snaked its way along the sandstone bluff. "Easy to protect and to see enemies approaching..." He slipped past Judy into the mouth of the cave, peering into the darkness using the petering light of the setting sun. "And with that curve, we would be hidden from view even if someone came up here and searched for us."

Judy nodded. "We'd just need to hide our scent trail leading up here." She pondered for a moment, then turned to Ake'cheta. "Spot anything on the way here that we could use for that?"

"Nothing on the way in, however, the winds should blow away most of our trail within an hour or two."

"Cedar branches," Nick exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "They won't completely cover our trail, but would cover it enough, and there are fallen limbs everywhere."

"I'll grab the cedar," Ake'cheta announced, and was gone just as quick down the ledge.

Leaving Nick and Judy...alone.

In the quiet of the growing night.

Alone.

Together.

In what both were realizing was a growing awkwardness.

"So…" both began at once.

"Hehe." Nick scratched at the back of his neck while Judy coughed into her paw.

"I'll set up the bedrolls if you'd like to grab some food from the packs?" Nick offered and at the rabbit's nod, they both went to work. Nick soon realized a newfound predicament. The tod couldn't help but look over his shoulder at Judy while she scrounged up food from her satchel. He looked back at the ground when her ears turned in his direction, followed quickly by the rest of her head.

_How close should I lay the bedrolls?_

It should have been a simple question, as neither mammal had issues with being in close proximity to the other.

At least before this afternoon…

With how small the natural cave was already, would it be awkward if he lay them side by side, or would Judy take that as too much too soon after the revelations of the day?  _But if I put them on the sides of the cave, would I don't want to be near her anymore? That I'd want to push her away?_

Nick stood, mentally torturing himself as he attempted the singular task of laying down two bedrolls, at least until  _thumpthumpthump_  sounded behind him.

His head had barely turned by the time Judy had snatched the two pads from his paws and in a flick of her wrists, rolled them out fully in the air and laid them down next to each other.

"Eheh...I was...I was going to do that."

A raised eyebrow and an amethyst glance filled with incredulity met his nervous green-eyed gaze. "Nick, could you really not know how to spread a bedroll?"

"I know how, just…" Nick let out a sigh as Judy folded her arms across her chest. "I didn't know how close you'd like them to be after...this morning."

Judy stifled a groan. "Nick, we buried that hatchet. I know I'll still be trying to understand everything you went through and why you did it, but, for what we're doing, we can't second guess ourselves. Stay focused."

 _Right..._ Nick thought, the corners of his lips turning to a frown. "Right…" he repeated aloud. "I'm focused. Sorry, Judy."

The bunny turned back to her pack as Nick went to his, trying to focus as she located her meager dinner for that night. Though as she grasped her food, her mind was elsewhere: her future with Nick, now that she knew his biggest secret.

Thankfully, until Ake'cheta arrived, the two mammals kept themselves busy with food, a meager helping of a timothy grass tortilla for Judy and a few pawfuls of legumes for Nick. Nick eyed the beans, sighing as he popped them into his muzzle, chewing the grainy meal quickly least he gag at the tasteless morsels.  _I should have stopped by Perks for some of their blueberry scones and carrot cake instead of sending Gonzalez to the storage room._ Nick popped the rest of his meal into his mouth, wishing they'd transform into an assortment of treats from the popular cafe.

It wasn't long after that when Ake'cheta slipped into the cave and informed them that their scents should be neutralized now. Judy volunteered for the first watch of the night, an offer that Nick and Ake'cheta gratefully accepted. Their muscles remembered the hectic battle from earlier, and both canines looked forward to their rest.

The moment their heads hit their mats, they were out like the setting sun. Judy was grateful for the peace and calm. The alone time let her think, after all, and it wasn't long until her gaze was focused upon the fox sleeping mere feet from her, curled into a ball with his tail over his nose. She couldn't help but smile, feeling a sudden urge to brush back the rise of rumpled fur between his ears from his bolero.

_So many things I still don't know about you ..._

Her smile turned to a frown, before taking on a more mournful look.  _How did I forgive him so easily today...why did I forgive him so easily?_

Her paw brushed the healing scars across her cheek. A memory flashed, like a whisper of a match struck before being snuffed out. She stole another glance at the sleeping tod.  _Is this all worth it?_

_Is he...worth it?_

She had wanted to be furious with him earlier, and a part of her still wished she could exact her revenge against the red fox for how he misled her and played with her heart.

Judy shook her head.  _No...you know his feelings were true the entire time. There were no falsehoods there._

 _But what if there were?_  the silent, taunting voice mocked her.

"I mustn't think like that…" she scolded herself, pushing the annoying thought away. "He is my friend. Something more...still? Maybe?"

She let out a growl of disgust as she stood from the cave's entrance and paced back and forth, pulling at her ears in frustration. "What do I want from this…"

 _That's a very good question..._ an inner voice told her.  _Do you want the fox or not?_

 _His name is Nick!_  Judy shouted internally only to let out a verbal groan and plunk her head against the sandstone wall. Her conscience snickered, as Judy repeatedly bonked her head against the smooth stone. "Do I want Nick...Do I want Nick...Do I want Nick…"

"What do you want to pick?"

Judy's ears bolted upright at the sleepy voice behind her. She stumbled over a stone near the entrance, barely catching a glimpse of the moonlight reflecting from two emerald eyes staring half-lidded towards her.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" Judy sputtered loudly, before lowering her voice to a whisper. "Nothing. I just ah...wanted to know which, story. Yes, story to pick."

Even in the dim light she could easily see his raised eyebrow and look of bemusement. "Story? Does my little bonita want a bedtime story?"

"No! Yes! I…" Judy groaned at the chuckle coming from Nick. She heard him slide off the bed roll and saw a flicker of movement near his side.

"Judy, I think we need to talk."

Judy let out a huff. "We talked this morning."

"You clearly want to talk more."

"No I don't."

Yes, you do," Nick insisted.

"No. I don't," Judy replied.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"No…?" Judy replied, confused.

With an irritated growl, the bunny stomped over towards the fox, sitting roughly on the ground before him, glaring at him.

"Alright," Nick began. "What has my bunny all riled up?"

The question made Judy pause mid-thought as a retort died on her lips. All the confusion of the past few days was whirling like a tornado in her mind, tossing her thoughts here, there, and everywhere. She tried catching them as they flew by, only seeming to grasp them before they pulled away, leaving her mind in a haphazard state of disrepair.

Questions whipped by.

Why did she forgive him?

Why did he hide everything from her?

Does he still love her?

Does she still love him?

Who exactly is Nicholas de la Wilde?

"I don't know…" she finally murmured. "These past few days have been so confusing."

"Tell me about it," Nick huffed before looking down at Judy, his eyes glowing in the darkness. "Though I still must apologize for my behavior throughout all the time I've known you. It was the height of arrogance for myself to treat you how I did."

A scoff left the bunny's lips. "Must run in the family."

She felt him tense. It was barely a moment, a heartbeat, yet she had felt it. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

Nick waved off her concern. "It's alright. My father told me as much before we left."

"He did?" Judy asked, surprised. She'd only met the admiral a few times in the city during patrols, as well as the fateful meeting aboard his ship. Memories of that conversation iced her veins.  _I should have seen all this coming…_

"He told me many things before we left, fearing it would be the last time we could talk. About my family, about him and I..."

"Wait...what?" Judy's head flicked up at that comment. "That sounds like he actually cares about you?"

It came out as more of a question than her intended surprise.

"More than either of us knew," Nick replied softly. "More than I ever imagined with what he gave up for me."

 _What he gave up?_  Judy thought as her heartbeat quickened. "What...else did he say?" Judy asked, placing a paw on his arm.

"Told me about my mother."

The cave fell silent. Judy watched Nick's reactions carefully as his head tilted forward, ears drooping. She knew from prior conversations his mother had passed when he was young. Sidling closer to the fox, she leaned against him. "Would you...like to talk about that?"

"A bit of a heavy conversation when you still need rest, mi amor," Nick said quietly. "I'd rather see you rested than learning about mi familia."

"Nick…" Her voice caught his attention like she hoped, almost as much as her paw on his arm.  _Please open up to me. Not like before when it came forced. I want to know the real you..._

Nick withheld his gaze from her for but a moment. He knew what he'd see when he turned, as it had been a common sight these past few weeks.

A mammal who cared for him.

He finally relented and saw her, eyes wide and gaze penetrating... _pleading..._ with him. Asking him for this one thing. If her nose began twitching then it would seal his fate; dooming him and sealing his sentencing and fate as quickly as a judge's gavel.

_Twitchtwitchtwitch_

He was doomed. His fate sealed as he stared down at the darling doe before him. Even the greatest maestros he'd seen in Califurnia couldn't have plucked his heartstrings better than Judy's peering gaze at that moment.

With a huff, he moved into a more comfortable position, his back against the cave wall as he examined Judy closely.

She frowned slightly. "I'm used to little sleep. Especially after chasing a certain rogue across the country night after night."

Nick winced.  _Okay...I guess I deserved that._

"Alright," he said, raising his paws in surrender while recalling the memories his father had told him before Nick left on this trek. A momentary gleam of fear flickered in his eyes at the memories. Of what his father had gone through. Of what his mother had gone through…

_Isabella…_

The fox coughed into his paw, blinking his eyes to fight back the tears of his long lost madre. "Alright. If you'd like to hear the tale my father told me, then that is what you'll hear."

Judy shuffled where she was, crossing her legs as she stared intensely towards Nick. He could only shake his head at the wry grin she had, like an eager kit at storytime.

"I guess I'll start with when my parents met. You see, my father once served on a magnificent ship, the Purrisima Concepciõn…"

* * *

John closed the spyglass, shaking his head at the site he'd seen as he heard the distinct clacking of hooves on the wooden deck. A calm voice disturbed his thoughts.

"What flag does she sail?"

"None sir," John replied. "She flies her own."

He knew the kudu behind him was grimacing. He'd been onboard long enough to know the captain's emotional response in most situations. The slight cracking of hooved knuckles from gripping his belt too tight. The rattle of the saber on his side as he twitched. All was second nature to Midshipmammal Wilde after serving aboard the Purrisima Concepciõn the past seven years, longer than most of the crew besides Lieutenant Antlerson and the surgeon, Benovol Artigerla. The latter, a tiger in his early 70's, was by far still his favorite warrant officer, as deft with a joke as he was with a scalpel.

No, when the Captain of the ship, Captain Pronk, cracked his hooves, he knew what followed.

It's why he wasn't surprised by the very next words out of Captain Pronk's mouth.

"Wilde! Break out the sand."

"Aye sir!"

He ran down the steps to the quarterdeck, making sure to skip the third step down, crossing his heart, remembering the mammal who had passed there while a shudder ran down his spine. He'd survived every battle he had been in...somehow. He recognized the marks and grooves from the last conflict when they fought the Bearussian battleship, Sv Evstafii, commanded by the equally frightening Gregory Ursadov.

The bear had decided that his 100 guns were inferior to raw, brute muscle, and decided on a boarding action immediately.

It was a slaughter on both sides.

John had barely escaped with his life after he ran across the Bearussian commander by accident while sneaking between larger mammals to hunt down enemies heading below deck after the massive bear and his soldiers had boarded the Concepciõn. The massive kodiak had grinned maliciously as he finished pulling his saber out of John's friend, a young ram and fellow midshipmammal. John watched the life drain from his friend's eyes, half his side sliced open and staining bright white wool a dark crimson.

Completely stunned at the savagery, John could do nothing but watch as the bear brandished his pistol and strode towards him, filleting a beaver dragoon before placing the point of his pistol against John's forehead, and fired point blank at the fox's skull.

John was lucky that Captain Antlerson decided that cannons were a better weapon than sinew and steel.

A full broadside from the Concepciõn blasted apart the Bearussian naval vessel, annihilating half the enemy ship in the process. A risky move with the ships side by side, but one that saved John's life.

The explosions rocked both ships, shifting the pistol enough that when the gun crackled to life, billowing smoke and powder, the round tore through his collar, rather than his skull.

John shook his head at the memories of that day, rallying his thoughts to the present. They may have won that battle, but the cost was 438 of their own sailors.

All that information flew through the young tod's mind as he reached the quarterdeck. Observing several sailors and dragoons looking over the rails at the incoming ship, hooves and paws over their eyes to shield them from the sun setting behind the incoming ship that was approaching fast.

"Orson! Manuela! Carasel!"

The antelope, lynx and bobcat turned and saluted, their promptness making the tod grin. Many of the crew such as the three before him were new to the ocean, this their honeymoon cruise with the ship. Yet their discipline was admirable. They would make fine seamammals. Maybe someday when he commanded his own ship, he would seek them out.

"Orlop deck and storage room now."

"Breaking out the sand, Midshipmammal Wilde?" Carasel purred.

Wilde nodded, slightly annoyed at the cat's enthusiasm for what the fox knew was to come. "You get to see your first action today."

The four mammals were soon joined by four more as John rallied sailors to his cause, including two rhinos he still didn't know the names of, only knowing they were twins, a lion and the ship's boatswain, a tiger named Dante.

They finished their task efficiently, John, the two rhinos and Dante bringing the sand up to the poop deck and quarterdeck while the rest spread sand across the two lower gun decks. As the last of the sand was spread, the first shots of cannon fire sounded from the Concepciõn's front cannons, soon followed by the bellowing retort from the opposing ship.

It was only then, as John went to rejoin the captain, that he gained a good look at their enemy.

"Why does it always have to be bears..." he grumbled as he took the elephant-sized stairs as fast as he could to the quarterdeck, again skipping that third step. The black flag of a bear standing on the skulls of two lions was all he needed to see as he neared the captain.

Black Bart, the most feared pirate on the seven seas, was their enemy today.

"We're in for a rough patch."

John nodded at Captain Antlerson's assessment as the front guns launched another salvo.

"I think the mammals are ready, sir," John replied.

"Nobody is ever prepared," Antlerson said calmly as he watched the pirate ship approach. "Master Enrique has the gunners prepared?"

John nodded again. "Ready to fire at your command, sir."

A few more shots came, most splashes to the front or the side of the navy vessel. One did connect with the forecastle, sending splinters and shavings into several dragoons setting up to fire upon the enemy ship. The cries of pain and screams filled the air for a split second, jolting several newer crew members on the deck below.

"Here they come!"

The cry was anonymous, coming from below, and it brought a hush upon all those who breathed aboard the vessel. He even caught a glimpse of the goat priest, counting his rosary beads while muttering unheard prayers over the sailors. The only sound breaking the silence was the creaking of the hull and the dashing of waves. The universe itself was holding its breath for one fateful moment, as over a thousand mammals prepared for death.

The two ships pulled alongside each other. The baited breath released...and hell was loosed upon the earth once more.

_"FIRE!"_

_"FIRE!"_

The roar was deafening. Smoke and fire leapt like dragon tongues as cannons from both ships roared their defiance towards one another. Their call, the siren's song of death, was soon joined by a mixture of screams and musket shot as the Concepciõn took the full force of the broadside on its port side. The air was filled with cracks as wooden beams gave way under the assault, splinters tearing through the air and mammal alike.

An explosion near the helm shattered wood and mammal, the badger next to John letting out a gurgled cry. The fox turned to see the predator clawing at a spear of wood through his gut, paws trembling around the beam as thick as his arm. The mammal slumped over, his body barely hitting the deck before he was gone.

"Dragoons,  _fire_!"

Above the cacophony of the battle, the sounds of musketry bellowed into the air as the marines aboard returned fire. The whizz of bullets zipping sounded in John's ears as he stood near the helm, ready to relay any orders Antlerson had to the crew.

"Turn the ship to starboard and re-engage," the captain called out as he placed a calming hoof onto the shaking shoulder of the jaguar piloting the ship. "Ready the starboard guns."

John leaned between the railings and yelled below, doing his best to ignore the bloody remains and cries of the damned below him. "Ready the starboard guns!"

The command was passed along, and John quelled his roiling stomach as the ship turned hard to starboard, its rear guns belching their angry cries, like hornets assaulting those who invaded their nest.

John knew it would take several minutes for the two ships to re-engage, the air calming as the two vessels sailed past one another, the dance of death almost forgotten in the stillness that followed, occasionally interrupted by a cannonade.

"Check on the gun decks while we come about, Midshipmammal Wilde."

"Aye, sir!"

With the agility he was known for aboard the ship, John dashed to the lower decks as the ship turned into the waves, reaching the first gun deck within seconds.

The bile that had settled in his stomach revived again, relieving itself onto the sandy, blood soaked floorboards.

The remains of the main gun deck were death and chaos. Bodies were shoved out of the way as mammals scrambled to ready the starboard guns. Massive holes lined the port side, some large enough to where he'd easily be able to walk through without even his ears touching top or bottom.

He searched quickly amidst the chaos, jumping back as an elephant rolled a rhino off his slumped position over a cannon, the device itself a twisted pile of iron and the mammal's remains. His stomach lurched again at the scent of death in the air as he skipped over a puddle of congealed blood and sand that had formed a slurry on the now slickening decks. His sensitive noise twitched as he pulled a small pawkerchief from his pocket, stuffing the ends into his nostrils, imitating what many other predators had already done on the lower decks.

After a minute of searching, he'd finally found the master-at-arms: a grizzled polar bear and a veteran of many a battle. He was easy to find, shouting orders to the gun crews, tossing sand with his one good arm while his empty right sleeve tossed at his side.

"Captain sent me to find you, sir," John yelled above the din of mammals shouting orders or crying out in pain.

"Tell him that if he thinks we're doing two more broadsides like the last then he's as dumb as he is terrible with the ladies at court." The bear grimaced as he shouted down at the fox. "Forty dead, unknown wounded but we still have enough mammals for another round. After that, we'll have to cut guns on our broadsides. His aim is true, the devil."

"I'll let him know!" With a quick salute, John was off once more.

The return trip was quicker this time around, with more sand being poured across the deck as the two ships closed upon one another.

"What's the damage?" the captain asked immediately upon John's arrival.

"Forty gone, sir. One more broadside before a boarding action would be appropriate."

Antlerson nodded before turning to his helmsmammal. "Suavez, turn us twenty degrees to starboard. Bring us in close."

"Sir?" the lion asked, the nervousness at going through another broadside apparent in his tone.

"Do it."

"Aye, sir." The lion pulled on the wheel, the ship lurching in that direction moments later.

"Steady us out," was the command as they were within several hundred yards of the enemy ship, the front cannons now sounding their battle cries against the ocean and sky.

"Ready the shot!"

" _Ready the shot!"_  came the call from the line to the inner hull of the ship.

John couldn't help swallowing back the fear he felt rising in his chest as the ships drew closer.

Three hundred meters….

Two hundred meters…

The sound of the grapeshot being fired from the fore cannons rent the air with puffs of smoke and cries of death from the other ship.

One hundred meters…

Fifty…

John watched his captain take in a deep breath, the fox's whole frame going rigid the two ships came abreast, a mere twenty meters between them. So close he could hear the snarls from the mammals aboard the pirate vessel. The sounds befouled the air as Antlerson bellowed...

"FIRE!"

The roar of the cannons was even more intense than the first broadside. The very air seemed to be split in twain by the sound. Barely a moment passed before the other ship replied, and the world around them exploded into splinters and fire.

John whimpered as the ship rocked from the explosions recoiling through it. From the screams of his comrades being ripped apart below decks.

From the bowels of hell seemingly unleashed upon mammalkind.

A large crack and groan split the air. John tore his gaze away from the bloodshed on the deck below, gazing at the pirate ship itself. Its center mast snapped, heaving towards the Concepciõn with a loud groan and splintering beams. The enemy ship shuddered and heaved to its side as the mast came crashing towards the Spanish ship.

"Prepare for impact!" came the cry from below.

"Get down!"

John felt himself shoved to the deck, two hooves wrapping around him as the mast crashed onto the quarterdeck, catching on their own mizzenmast. It halted a moment, before tearing through the sails and rigging, crashing down upon the deck in a tangle of fabric and rope.

The beams behind John buckled and splintered, the cries of his fellow mammals' screams piercing the air before going silent, crushed under oaken timbers.

"Get up," the kudu snarled, hauling the fox to his paws. "This is going to be a bloodbath now…"

The sound of sabers being drawn came from around him, interrupting the crackle of muskets and the bellowing of cannons.

"Continue firing and get this mast off us!" the antelope shouted below, a scene of carnage greeting him. His crew was rushing across the deck with axes. John watched as a large tiger ran towards them, only for the mammal to be blasted sideways across the deck, peppered by grapeshot and painting the deck a crimson hue in his wake. Several more mammals rushed up towards them as the marines lined the rails, forming firing lines.

"What can I do?" John asked calmly, despite his inner fears running rampant.

"Make sure the guns below keep firing!"

"Aye, sir!" John scampered off, slipping across the deck, his paws stained by the blood and sand coating the deck, turning the once pristine wood into a cesspit of gore and mud. He turned toward the stairs towards the inners of the ship, only to barely suppress a retch at the sight.

There would be no more prayers for their ship.

The goat priest from before lay prostrate in the doorway, collapsed beams blocking the path and preventing John from seeing the rest of his shredded body.

_Fore stairwell it is…_

John turned, scampering upon the deck as bullets whizzed past him. A grunt of pain to his right had him rolling across the deck, coating himself in the grime and filth. He barely avoided a boar marine falling backwards, desperately clutching a hole in his neck.

John had no time to mourn the mammal and pushed onwards. The cannons beneath him sounded as he reached the door, and his curiosity couldn't be contained. John paused in the doorway, watching as the third broadside ripped apart the enemy ship from bow to stern. Plumes of smoke billowed into the sky as wreckage began to fall around him. The ship across from them shuddered as an explosion wracked its sleek frame, destroying the aft end of the ship in a magnificent explosion as the magazine detonated.

John saw mammals rushing across the deck as more of the ship began to be devoured by licking flames, its hull crashing into the ocean in a tremendous splash of foam and spray. The sea seemed to boil as the once proud pirate ship began to list towards its stern and port sides, pirates tossing themselves overboard and into the ocean as the ship heaved and groaned.

Yet not all of the pirates accepted the dying gasps of their ship.

One final burst of cannon fire shot from the listing ship, its final breaths urging revenge upon the victor. John had no time to respond as the volley tore into the Concepciõn. A loud shudder sounded beneath him, deafening in its impact and breadth as the cannonballs struck.

He stumbled back, falling into the railing of the ship as the whole deck in front of him shot upwards in a massive pillar of flames, mammals and decking.

"Oh no…" John managed to gasp, before the whole world exploded.

* * *

**AN** **: I hope you found the story shout out, and if you did, go read their stories and review as they are an amazing author. (Thank you ScaraMedn for suggesting the shout out)**

**Also, I have a question for everyone. I have two ways I can write the next chapter and I love both equally so I come to you to ask about which to follow...**

**Route A: Continue with John's story of meeting his wife (would take one more chapter) before switching back to Nick telling the story and showing what happened to them. This would extend the story a few weeks while I write this chapter.**

**Route B: Start up the next chapter to Nick's point of view in telling the story to Judy (with a big of annoyed rabbit and snarky fox) and head straight back into the main story.**

**So, please let me know what you guys would like to see in the next chapter! I'm fine with either, just don't know how long you'd like for me to stay with John and his wife when I also have Judy and Nick. XD**


	39. Marooned

**Chapter 39 Marooned**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

* * *

John hacked up spit and sand as the surf washed over him, bathing him in salty foam. The fox coughed violently, clawing his way up the beach inch by inch. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he kissed the ground.

Land...how he missed it.

He had become used to being aboard ships, the rocking, swaying motion calming him while the miles of endless blue was a perpetual delight. Yet that was before he had his ship sunk beneath his paws and was put to the mercy of ceaseless waves. Before the blue ocean had been colored red by the blood of hundreds of mammals. Before the Concepción became a flaming hulk of wood and waste, slipping beneath the waves in a bubbling froth, its slide into Davy Jones' Locker accompanied by the screams of the dying.

That was days ago. How many he wasn't sure. The explosion on the main gun deck that threw him off the deck of his ship and into the briny drink spread within seconds to the powder rooms below. He had barely broken the surface of the water, flailing limbs searching for anything to grab, when a secondary explosion sent a ringing through his ears and a concussive wall of sound and fire billowing over him.

John had watched in stunned horror as the ship he had grown to love, as well as all the mammals he had served with, sink into the abyss, until nothing but flotsam and jetsam was left bobbing on the waves.

His entire life...gone.

He'd swum over to a piece of debris, what looked like part of the outer hull at some point, and clung to it in sheer desperation. The bits of wood were barely large enough to hold the desperate fox as he struggled to stay afloat, petrified of the fins circling the water around him. The sharks that followed his ship, fed by the refuse the sailors tossed overboard, found a new food source in the floundering mammals.

Sharks had no qualms about biting the paws that fed them.

The sloshing waves thankfully carried him further and further away from the carnage and final resting place of the two ships and their crews until they seemed but distant memories. It was that first nightfall spent alone with only his thoughts and the endless sea of stars above when he ascribed himself lucky to have survived. John would mourn his friends, but there was no use in weeping for the dead. He was in waters frequently patrolled by ships of the Spanish fleet...he'd be rescued shortly. Certainly someone would have seen the dual plumes of smoke that had billowed into the sky during the battle, and he'd be able to go back to his duties aboard another ship.

Right?

The warm sand beneath his paws reminded him of where he was, jogging him from his thoughts of the first few days drifting aimlessly. As John rolled onto his back on the damp sand, he found himself unable to recall the memories of the past few days after that…

A week? Maybe?

It had rained once, the only reason he could say he was alive as the otherwise merciless sun and brine would have done him in. He'd managed to catch one fish at some point, but after the storm, he found his memory sparse.

He licked his lips, the taste of salt and blood from his cracked skin begging for good water and food.

It took him what felt like ages to be able to move again. Bringing himself to wobbly feet, he finally took in the area around him. A few trees swayed in the breeze, the palms' fronds rustling in the wind. His stumbling towards the grove, which was no more than thirty meters away, sapped most of his remaining energy.

Yet he pushed on, his seeking eyes targeting five large, brown spheres laying on the ground beneath the nearest trees.

He licked his lips again.

 _One more meter...one more meter..._ It became his mantra, repeated in his mind as he came closer and closer...

_One more meter…_

_One more meter…_

_One...more..._

John's sight went black as he slumped into the sand.

* * *

John awoke, minutes or hours later, he couldn't tell. Once up, he saw the distance to the trees: barely ten meters left. Yet it had taken until the sun was low on the horizon to reach his current position. It wasn't until the sun had nearly set, bathing the island in a twinkling darkness lit by millions of stars above, when he grabbed his first prize.

It took him a while to crack open the husk, idly wishing for his sword that lay on the raft. It was his only possession left in the world, but he didn't feel he could spend the energy to trudge to it, let alone swing it.

 _Gnawing it is..._ John thought, and tore into the husk with his teeth.

The fox wasn't sure how long it took him to open it, but as he did, he learned his first valuable lesson of survival: don't drink the water inside. The bit of pungent liquid he had in his stomach soon found itself disgorged onto the grassy knoll he knelt upon. Thankfully the flesh sat better in his stomach, and it wasn't long until he was licking the shell clean.

His stomach churned once more at the veritable feast, yet he managed to keep its contents down. Another lengthy period of time and the second coconut was equally devoured.

Eating left him surprisingly exhausted, whether it be from the exertion of first chewing on the coconuts' husks and then beating them open with a rock, or just moving in general. The tod soon found himself leaning against the palm tree, blessing the heavens above for sparing his life.

John frowned.

Why had he been spared when everyone else had been lost? Were they not just as good, or more worthy than he was to survive? Did Harold, the ship's bespectacled rabbit navigator, deserve to never return home to his aging mother? What about the Captain, or Henry, or a hundred other faces of mammals he'd never see again?

Why was he so lucky?

His ship now sat leagues under the ocean, swallowed into Davy Jones' Locker along with his crewmates. Yet he was spared their fate. Gazing out upon the ocean, he crossed, the worry and anxiousness of those questions tormenting him until he passed out beneath a blanket of stars.

* * *

As John woke the following day, blinking sleep from his eyes and dusting sand off his salt-stained uniform, he faced several decisions. He could stay on the beach, build a shelter and wait for help, or explore the island and see if there was already a ship on the other side. He knew that the area his ship had been patrolling held several islands, yet after thinking of how long he was adrift, as well as his direction, it could have placed him on any of nearly a half dozen islands at this point.

And none of them were anywhere near the coast of Zootopia.

They had been sailing off the coast of Baja Califurnia, far enough away that the only way to see land would be to crawl to the tip of the crow's nest and hope for a large swell. He had viewed enough maps in his time at sea to hopefully recognize the island he was on by its shape, but that was a haphazard guess at best.

After consuming a third coconut, finding the water much easier on his stomach this time around than before, John set out deeper into the island. His first thoughts were to try and find water. The fruit of the coconuts may have been moist and wetted his tongue, and the water within barely satisfying and terrible on an empty stomach, but he knew the temporary relief would not last long in the heat bearing down on him.

And so began his reconnaissance of the island. As he pushed inland, the small slopes near the beach gradually grew into much steeper terrain, and the dense palm forest from his landing changed into a lush pine forest. His ears perked towards the gentle bubbling of water nearby. Upon following the noise, again he offered praise above as he stumbled across a trickling stream and pond.

John plunged in headfirst, not caring about the depth or safety, lapping up as much of the heavenly liquid as he could manage.

His waterlogged uniform dripped as John continued his trek forward, the trees gradually petering out until only smaller shrubs remained. It was upon a slight rise, still nowhere near the top of the hill he was climbing, where he beheld a view of the whole island.

"Guadalupe..." he murmured, his whisper softer than the gentle breeze ruffling his fur. One of the largest islands off the coast of Mexicow, known for its vibrant flora and…

_KARAAAAAAA!_

John dove to the ground, a whooshing and flapping sound coming from directly above him.

"Filthy Caracara…" the fox growled, ducking again when the bird swooped down, attempting to peck at his ears. John bolted towards the treeline on all fours, the angry fowl swooping at him again and again, actually nipping his right ear once. He was far down the hill and safely within the confines of the forest before he paused to catch his breath.

His captain...late captain, he thought with a heavy sigh, was right about those raptors of the sky. He remembered several of the stories told while at sea, as he walked back down towards the beach, the worst describing the Devils of Guadalupe lifting young mammals out of their parents paws.

John brushed past a large fern as he closed back in on the beach, the sound of the ocean waves calming his nerves. Even with what had happened, his ship exploding, his marooning on this island...he would never give up his love of the wide expanse of blue before him.

"Even if I may be here for some time…" he thought with a huff. The fox was no stranger to marooned sailors, as his ship had picked up their fair share, though most mammals they found adrift at sea had long since perished. The few they had found alive always had set up some type of signal to be found, whether it was polished metal glinting in the eyes of the crew of the ship or a fire belching smoke up to the heavens.

"Just hope I don't end up like Robinson Bearusoe Chuck Zooland," he quipped aloud to a hearty laugh and shake of his head. When they had found the poor bear, he had been adrift at sea for over a week, and that only  _after_  being marooned on an island for almost a year before building the raft he'd been found upon. John bent down to pick up a gnarled stick as he remembered seeing the poor black bear, his fur mottled and mind half gone from talking to a pinecone with a face drawn on it for over half a year.

 _Why would he name it Wilson of all names..._ John wondered as looked around for a suitable place to build a shelter.

_KARAAAAAAAA!_

His eyes flitted to the beachline, stick held like a sword at the angry cry of a caracara. Several of them could be seen flapping errantly over a pile of driftwood a hundred yards off, the birds snapping their beaks at a piece of fluffy...red…

"Is that a tail?" he wondered, though not for long. Spurred into action, John sprinted down the beach, sand spraying behind his fast feet. He picked up the few rocks he found along the way, pelting the birds as soon as he closed in enough. One gave a startled cry as a rock hit its wing, and it flew off down the beach, away from the oncoming mammal. A second soon followed, while the third, pecking at a prone figure on the ground, met its death at John's paw as a stone hit it square in the head, a snapping sound signaling its instantaneous demise.

"Filthy devils," he spat, throwing one last rock for good measure at the fleeing birds before kneeling next to the figure.

Another fox…

He felt for a pulse on their neck, letting out a held breath as he felt a weak but steady heartbeat. John felt the need to cross himself as he glanced over the mammal who lay atop a crude patchwork of timbers. Their clothes were patched and worn, several red gashes marking where the birds had cut them. A canteen lay across one shoulder while a wide-brimmed hat covered the back of their head.

"At least you had a canteen, you lucky bloke." After checking the wounds and finding them mostly superficial, John gently pulled the mammal from the raft and carefully flipped him over…

Then fell back onto his paws in a start.

"You're no bloke," he muttered incredulously, as he looked down upon the most welcome and breathtaking sight he'd seen on the oceans.

A vixen, who even with her parched lips and salt crusted fur portrayed a beauty that he hadn't seen before. Either that or just seeing another mammal, and a fox at that, was a heavenly sight to the waylaid sailor.

Tentatively, he reached out, pressing his palm to her forehead before pulling it back swiftly.  _That isn't good…_  No care left for decorum, John pulled and hefted the unconscious vixen upon his shoulder and began hurrying into the woods towards the spring.

* * *

It took four days. Four agonizing days for her fever to break, and through all that time, John barely left her side. His sleeves were gone, the left torn off to become a poultice for her wounds and the right to cool her fevered mind. In the evening of the second day, as he sat next to a crackling fire, she had made her first sounds, a low moan, and he was next to her in a flash, nearly tripping into the fire in his haste. Her eyes flickered open briefly, and for a quickest moment, John caught a pair of emerald eyes staring into his own before she passed out once more.

By the third day, she had awakened enough for him to get her to eat on her own, in between incoherent babblings. It wasn't the best cuisine: smashed grubs turned paste, then mixed with water to be drinkable. But it was the most he thought she'd be able to stomach.

Well, after the third bout of retching, it was.

After that, though, she eagerly drank the mixture, giving John hope for her recovery.

But it was on the fourth day, the one that John would remember forever, a fateful memory that was seared into his mind…

It was the day she nearly killed him.

* * *

**AN: First off, congratulations to DrummerMax64 for being the 1000th review for this story. Holy mutton chops! I hadn't even realized we were so close until I was checking this today before posting and saw that huge number on there. Thank you guys so much for the support on this story, even with how long its taken to get a chapter out there at times… ^^;**

**Now for the facts of the case…**

**I did quite a bit of research to make this chapter a bit fuller, so to speak, and will be doing that in the following chapters. It is something I've wanted to do, but haven't had enough time to devote to it as the "What if…?" collab was in full swing. Now that it is winding down, I can fully devote my time to Masked Fox. :)**

**The island John lands on is based off the real life island of Guadalupe off the coast of Baja Mexico. Since Zootopia is placed between San Francisco and Los Angeles, it would be natural for the ship John is on to patrol the waters around Mexico's Baja pennisula. Though the island in this story is a bit different from the island you'd be visiting today.**

**In the 1700's and 1800's, the island was overrun by goats, which sailors had placed on the island as then when they passed by, they'd have an easy source of food on their travels. As there are no people, and goats are sentient, the purpose for the island would be mute and left unihabited. As a result, the Guadalupe Caracara, which was hunted to extinction by those goat farmers, would still exist as well as all the island's natural flora.**

**Coconut water is safe to drink, however, its sweetness on an empty stomach can cause one to retch as shown by John's reaction here. Drinking stream water** _**will** _ **make you sick though, so don't do that. I had a bit of creative licensing that if their 'savage' ancestors drank stream water, they developed an immunity to those diseases long before.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. These should come out faster now that I have the time to devote to them. So hopefully in two weeks you'll see another chapter on the horizon.**


	40. Sorrows of a Fox

**Chapter 40 Sorrows of a Fox**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

** **

**AN: Okay okay...I know most of you were expecting to see John and Esmeralda's introduction and I was tempted to write it...HOWEVER....this was just too fun of a way to start up this chapter and I'm sure the majority of you guys felt like Judy did, a bit frustrated.**

**Well, not to worry. With how much folks are loving this side story, it will become just that, a story by itself. Might take me a while if I want an actual plot to it, or if you just want their adventures on the island, I can do a short story of that as well. I'll have a poll up in a few days on my Deviantart account so folks can vote on what they'll like to see for this side story. :)**

* * *

“And?” Judy asked, her voice startling Nick out of his thoughts. Her foot was thumping a mile a minute as she watched Nick stare off into nothingness. The doe, irritated as the fox seemed mesmerized by the night sky, snapped her fingers next to his ears.

“Oh, what?” he asked with a coy grin.

He had been messing with her.

“Jerk…” Judy grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

Nick grinned. “Yes, but I’m _your_ jerk.”

Judy shook her head and sighed while muttering under her breath about obnoxious, lovable foxes.

“What was that, darling? Couldn’t hear you,” he replied to her musings.  

“What happened to your mother and father?” Judy whispered harshly, changing the subject abruptly to avoid any more wit from her fox. She spared a fleeting glance towards Ake’cheta to make sure he hadn’t woken before turning back to the fox. “I know that she didn’t kill him, or else you wouldn’t be here, so how did they get off the island? When did they marry? When did they have you? What happened to your mother? Why--”

Nick waved his paws at the bunny. “Woah, woah...slow down, mi amor...I am getting to that.”

Judy’s glare was easy to spot in the darkness, her eyes reflecting the sparse moonlight that shone into their cave. “Nicholas…”

“Alright, alright…” the fox snickered. “To start off, you are correct. My madre did not in fact kill my padre.”

* * *

On that fourth day, the vixen had awoken with a start, and upon seeing John leaning over her, had punched him in the muzzle, knocking him over and onto their roaring fire. Shocked at first by seeing a fox who seemingly almost kissed her, she was doubly shocked when he leapt from the fire, his fur sizzling and sparking, and into a nearby pond.

A third, final shock came when he surfaced, revealing a soggy fox wearing a tattered navy uniform, a uniform she feared and knew well.

“You’re a naval officer?” she stammered, eyes widening in fear as she looked around for anything to grab. Finding a half-consumed log sticking partway out of the mostly destroyed fire pit, she brandished it at the tod, who blinked back in surprise. “What do you want from me?”

John arched an eyebrow. “First, it would be nice for you to say, thank you.”

“Thank you?” she asked.

John grinned. “You’re welcome!”

“But...I...what…?” the stammering vixen replied. “For what?”

John sat down on a log across from the vixen. “For saving your life over the past few days.”

“My...life?”

John leaned back, waving a paw in the air, nonchalant in his appearance, even with the fire-stick pointed at him as he counted off on his paws. “From the sun, your heatstroke, your fever, the crazy birds on this island...a whole lot actually.” Seeing the stunned look the vixen was giving him, John shook his head and leaned forward. “Look, I’m going to forgive you for that mean right hook you gave me, as well as for trying to help me become a fire dancer…”

The vixen lowered the branch, ears dropping as she stared at the ground while he continued.

“...but I’ll only do that if you do one thing for me, alright?”

“What would that be?” she asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion, her grip tightening on the weapon in her paw.

John grinned as he leaned forward, eyes twinkling in mirth. “What’s your name, darling?”

* * *

Nick leaned back against the cave wall, smiling at memories of what his father looked like while telling this story. “When my father was telling me all this, I hadn’t seen him so happy in years. Sure my father was puzzled by her response to him being with the navy, but figured it was more from waking up, being half delirious and having an unknown stranger looking like they were about to kiss you.”

He laughed, shaking his head before looking at Judy. “To answer your other question, my mother’s name was Esmeralda, and as father puts it, had a laugh that could fill one’s heart with joy, a twinkle in her eye that could cause the strictest priest to forgo his robes and piety, and a temper that could make the worst storms at sea feel like a mid-afternoon zephyr.”

Judy was silent for a moment, chewing over what she had been told. “She sounds wonderful. Well, besides the temper part.”

Nick smiled. “Father does have a way with words. Though I’d like to say it’s the same with me, as I do know a certain bunny that quite matches that description. A voice like an angel, a heart warmer than the sun, a disposition of kindness that even the Pope would envy.”

“So,” Judy coughed into her paw, a blush creeping up into her ears as Nick smiled warmly. “How long were they on the island?”

“Two months,” Nick replied. “During which they had quite the adventure, though I wasn’t privy to all of them, as father only had a few hours to tell me their whole story. Suffice it to say, they both learned a lot about each other. Where they were from, how old each other was, how long dad was in the navy...how long Esmeralda had been a pirate.”

“A what?!” Judy shouted before covering her mouth and looking in fright at Ake’cheta. Thankfully, _somehow_ , the coyote was still asleep. _How is he still sleeping through all this?_ the rabbit wondered.

“He’s a heavy sleeper.”

Judy looked at Nick, an eyebrow raised. “What?” he asked. “I know that look of yours. It’s that, ‘I have a question but don’t know if I should ask it out loud for it will make me look like a dumb bunny,’ look.”

Before she could stutter out a retort, Nick scrounged around on the floor, clasping something in his paw. “Just watch.”

Judy watched in confusion as he tossed a pinecone in his paw a few times, before chucking it towards the sleeping canine. She cringed as the pinecone sailed towards their companion and…

Ake’cheta raised a paw, snatching the cone from the air. With eyes still shut, he threw the pinecone back at Nick. The fox ducked, the object sailing over his head and out of the cave, bouncing out of sight and over the cliff edge.

“I’m not a heavy sleeper,” the coyote said, finally snapping open his eyes. “One does not need to be asleep to rest.” Rising from his slumber, Ake’cheta stretched his arms and popped his back. Standing up, he made his way past the two conversing mammals. “I will go and make sure we haven’t been followed and be back before it is time to take over my watch duties.”

“But, I thought you said that you covered our trail?” Judy asked.

Ake’cheta frowned and replied calmly. “One does not simply walk into El Foso de la Desesperación.”

With a swish of his tail, he was gone, leaving the two alone once more. Judy stared at Nick, the beginnings of a grin starting to form. “Heavy sleeper, huh?”

He pushed her shoulder lightly while replying in a mirthful tone, “Oh shut it.”

Both shared a chuckle before Nick returned to telling his story, regaling Judy with the more notable tales of his parents’ time on the island. From their first few days together, their first date...to the incident with the coconut, two snails and an iguana, which made Judy snort in amusement. All the while Judy listened intently and, unbeknownst to either of them, slowly leaned closer to Nick until her head rested on his shoulder. And for Nick, he slowly found his arm and tail wrapping around the doe.

It just felt right.

Nick made it all the way to the rescue of his parents before he noticed Judy yawn, the rabbit’s eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. He stopped, admiring the bunny leaning against him, making sure to pull her closer. She snuggled into his side, placing a paw against his chest as she chirred in a sleepy, bemused state.

Nick leaned against the wall, noting how uncomfortable it may be, but not daring to move in fear of jostling his tired bunny. Several moments passed in idyllic quiet before Nick heard a soft murmur that stilled his heart.

“What happened to Esmeralda?”

Her voice carried a heavy exhaustion and her words were mumbled, but the sadness was implicit in her words.

_Here goes nothing…_ Nick swallowed back his own emotions, relying heavily upon the bunny next to him for strength.

“It was Bellwether…”

Judy’s eyes flickered open, her voice losing all of its tiredness. “What? How? That must have been...”

“Twenty-eight years, two months and eight days ago. I barely can remember her.”

“Oh Nick…” Judy gripped him tighter in an embrace, hugging his chest as the tod felt his chest tightening, not from her strength, but from what his father had told him. He pulled her even closer, blinking back tears as he continued. She suspected a reason for Nick never discussing his mother, but hadn’t thought it would be because of _that_ reason as well as simply not knowing until just a few days ago, himself.

“Like I said, mom had been a pirate, but that was a closely guarded secret only she and father knew. As I said earlier, after they were rescued, good old dad told them she was a castaway on that island for well over a year and nobody was the wiser. Once they got ashore, Mom told Father a little secret that she was the last mammal to know about.”

Judy’s interest was piqued now. “What was it?”

Nick’s features further wilted, his ears splayed out flat and tail laying limp in Judy’s paws as she tenderly stroked it, hoping it would soothe him. His features relaxed and he let out a heavy breath before speaking again. “The hidden lair of Black Bart. It proved to be the means that created what you see now. The only fox Don in all of Califurnia...and the reason why my mother was murdered in cold blood.”

The fox slumped against the cave wall, idly picking at a button on his vest shirt. “Father...father doesn’t know how Bellwether connected the dots between my parents’ newfound fortune, Esmeralda’s origin and the legendary treasure of Black Bart. They tried to be careful, only bringing out a bit of the gold, and valuables to sell, at a time to fund their expenses. As my father rose in the navy’s ranks, they relied on the treasure less and less until they left it alone completely. Who needed pirate gold when you’re an admiral?”

Judy didn’t know what to say, so she kept silent, holding onto him, rubbing his arm in a message of solidarity and oneness with Nicholas.

He continued, though his voice wavered much more than his usual self. “It was a few years after I was born. Madre and Padre were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary when a knock at the door sounded. Surprised at having guests, my father opened the door and was instantly slammed to the ground by a moose, then pinned down by several rams in military uniforms.”

Nick’s face contorted into one of rage, a growl coming from deep within his throat. “And in walks Bellwether like she owned the place. The daughter of the current Magistrate and heir apparent of that title. A stuck up twenty something sheep with a thorn in her hooves and something to prove….”

* * *

Judge Bellwether sauntered through the doorway, eyeing the struggling tod on the floor with a shrug before she caught sight of the vixen struggling in the corner, held back by two elk. Esmeralda struggled against the far larger mammals, her tail flicking in agitation.

“Why Commodore Wilde, you truly need to work on your hospitality. Not a single thing for me to eat here…” Bellwether glanced over the dinner table filled with fish, blueberries and several root vegetables, running her paw along the finished wood before rapping it twice with her hooves. “Oh, these are good!” she grabbed several of the berries and popped them into her mouth before turning abruptly on her heels towards Esmeralda.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your company tonight, Oler-Clima*?” the vixen said with a glare.

“Oh, temper temper,” Bellwether chided. “I might have to fix that if you don’t learn to respect your superiors. And it’s _Judge_ Bellwether. I know you’re a mongrel, but at least learn some respect if you can.”

Esmeralda growled, but bit her tongue as the sheep took her time reaching John, still struggling on the floor.

“What is the meaning of this?” the tod snarled. “I’ll have you reported to the Admiralty for this intrusion and assault!”

Dawn laughed. “Oh no, you won’t.” She cheerfully patted him on his cheek, only darting back when John snapped his jaws at her hoof. Her cheerful smile disappeared as she examined her hoof, a glare sent down at the officer. “Oh, you _really_ don’t want to do that.”

Bellwether snapped her hooves. A servant darted forward, the prairie dog holding an ornate oak box, large compared to his size. Placing it down, he undid the latch and held the container open to the ewe.

John’s eyes widened. “How do you have one of those? Those are only for the military to use and train with!”

Bellwether handled the dueling pistol in her hooves, smiling as she looked down the barrel and aimed it around the room. “Oh, the perks of being rich. But you know that well, don’t you, Commodore?”

John stayed silent until Bellwether’s aim landed upon his wife. “What do you want!” he barked.

Bellwether quietly walked over to the dinner table. Leaning against one of the chairs, she didn’t even look at either fox in the room as she spoke next.

“Tell me where Black Bart’s treasure is.”

John blinked back his surprise. “What treasure? I don’t know what you’re talking about. His treasure sank with him along with my friends years ago!”

“Tut tut…” the ewe sang before snapping her hooves. A large paw hammered John’s muzzle, eliciting a whine from him and a shout from Esmeralda. “There will be no lying to me tonight.”

“I already told you, I don’t know--”

Another snap, another paw sent into his muzzle. This time the tod’s vision swam before him. He could vaguely see a hooved mammal approaching him before his muzzle was lifted up too high, his neck searing with pain.

“I don’t like liars,” Bellwether laughed. “I know it’s what your species does naturally, but you need to learn how to speak the truth for once.”

His muzzle being twisted towards the ceiling, John couldn’t even snarled in protest as she pointed the gun between his eyes. “Now, won’t you be a gentlemammal and tell a lady what she wants to know?”

“ _Vete al infierno_!”

Bellwether looked over to Esmeralda. “Ah, the _pirata_ * speaks!”

Esmeralda’s head jerked back in surprise. Bellwether laughed in response. “Oh, did you think I would never find out about your family’s _dirty_ little secret? Why else do you think I’m here? A simple house call to celebrate your wedding anniversary with you? Oh no, no, no!”

Bellwether sauntered over to the vixen, waving the gun as she walked. “I would threaten you with a gun, but a noose would do you better, don’t you think? it’s the only necklace that would look good on you, hehe.”

“You’ll get nothing from me.”

“Essy, stop!” John yelled, only to have his muzzle forced into the floorboards.

“Oh no,” Bellwether laughed. “By all means, let her continue.”

Silence met the ewe’s words, filling the air with a torrent of anger and malice directed at the small prey mammal. Bellwether eventually sighed. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. “I didn’t want to do this, but even some mammals have limits to their patience.” Looking back to the largest of the rams, Bellwether spoke quickly. “Find their child.”

“No!”

The roar was simultaneous from both foxes. Several mammals branched off into the house, and it wasn’t long before a child’s wailing cry filled the room. The two foxes struggled more against their captors, screaming out their son’s name as a mountain goat entered the room with the fox kit in his arms.

“Please, leave him alone!” John roared.

The goat handed the kit over to Bellwether, whose eyes twitched. “Does it look like I’d want to hold that... _thing?_ ” She shooed the mammal away. “Place him on the ground. Prop him up, make him a better target.”

“No!”

The guttural cry of rage came from Esmeralda, and Bellwether had little time to react before a clawed paw slashed across her face.

“You horrible, _oveja sucia_!*”

Bellwether felt her head slammed against the floor, as the vixen above her smashed her head repeatedly against the wood. The ewe did the only thing she could do before her henchmammals could react…

She raised her arm, and pulled the trigger.

The shot was deafening inside the small room, as smoke and gunpowder filled the air around the two mammals. A pained cry followed, soon by another…

“ _ESSY_!” John roared, panic overtaking him as she watched his wife slump over and onto the floor, clutching at her stomach. Bellwether pushed herself back from the trembling vixen, righting her glasses before looking at the gun in her hooves.

“Oops, guess the noose _was_ too good for you,” Bellwether stammered, looking from her gun to the vixen whining in pain on the ground.

Esmeralda chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Bellwether huffed.

The vixen grinned, coughing up blood. “Joke’s on you...John doesn’t know...where the treasure is. Only I...did.”

One of her guards, the moose, glanced quickly outside as the sound of startled cries came from houses nearby. “Judge Bellwether, we need to leave now before someone finds out you’re here.”

“I…” the ewe stammered, again staring at the gun before dropping it to the floor. The moose was next to her in a flash.

“We’ll make it look like a home intrusion gone wrong. But we need you to leave, _now!_ ”

“What’s going on?”

Everyone in the house turned towards the door, where one of the Wilde’s neighbors, a sleepy looking raccoon stood, wiping at his eyes. In an instant he was snagged by the moose.

“Hey! Put me down!”

The moose didn’t listen, grabbed the raccoon by the neck and twisted. The poor mammal went limp immediately, his cries ceasing as he was dumped on the floor.

“There’s the home intruder, now let’s _go!”_

Bellwether nodded, but first walked over to where John still lay struggling on the ground. She grabbed his muzzle and pointed it towards the baby fox crying on the ground nearby. “Consider this your warning, fox. You are not to intrude upon my affairs, ever. Do I make myself clear?”

John offered a pitiable nod.

“Good.”

The ewe stood as the moose jogged back inside. “Judge, we need to leave now before the neighbors arrive.”

Bellwether nodded, dropped the gun near the dead raccoon, then ran out the door. The two deer holding John down both gave him a good kick before fleeing after her. John was up and to his wife’s side in a flash, cradling her head in his lap as she smiled softly at him.

“Is...Nicholas...safe?” she wheezed as John frantically tried to staunch the flow of life from her wound, her clothes and ground beneath her growing crimson.

“He is…” John sobbed, tears streaming down his face. “You’re going to be alright, mi amor. I hear the neighbors coming. You’ll be okay.”

Esmeralda chuckled softly. “You...have always been a terrible liar.”

John choked back a sob. “It’s because I never would want to lie to an angel. It might get me banned from heaven and being with her forever.”

“She’ll be waiting for you.” Esmeralda’s whole body shuddered and a grimace overtook her features. “Please, let me hold Nicholas.”

“But…”

Esmeralda grabbed onto his paw and squeezed hard. “Let me hold our baby…so he knows...I love him.”

John helped Esmeralda into a sitting position, leaning her against the wall before he ran over to the bundle of blankets, gently scooping their crying toddler from the mass. He turned. “Here he is, Esmeral…”

He stopped, his world crashing into nothingness at the sight before him. John moved forward slowly until he reached his wife’s form.

“Essy? Darling?...mi amor?” John cried gently as the sound of mammals came from outside.

Even among so much blood, Esmeralda looked angelic. Her eyes were closed , her paws limp at her side, and a sad smile graced her lowered muzzle. For all he knew, she was merely asleep, looking much like when John had found her washed ashore on Guadalupe years before. Though this time, she had found a peace John would never know until he met her in heaven.

As the de la Wilde’s neighbors approached the house, an anguished cry tore through the night sky, the sound itself halting all in their tracks. Nobody would go near the home as the racking, sorrowful screams and cries split the air.

The males present took off their caps, making the sign of the cross over their chests. They didn’t need to go inside to know that the heart of their friend was broken.

A large zebra turned towards his neighbor, a brown bear, his brows knit together in sorrow. “Renaldo, fetch the _padre_.”

* * *

Judy sat next to Nick, his tears catching moonlight as they flowed down his cheeks and onto her own. The sobs racking his body shook hers as the fox let out all his anguish. Anything Judy could do to physically help him, she did. Judy nuzzled closer to Nick, feeling him wrap her arms around her possessively, squeezing her tightly against him and not letting go.

_For twenty-eight years, two months and eight days, your father carried that secret with him.._ Judy thought in sorrow. She looked up to see Nick weeping. _And yet you had no idea the truth...oh Nick..._

Judy sobbed with him, their release of every emotion, every memory, and every hardship shared, echoing in this tiny, dark cave.

She thought of how else she could make it better, what she could say between heaves and sobs. But words weren’t needed.

And words weren’t wanted.

Judy simply held him tight, weeping with him until they both mercifully escaped into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

**AN: *hides behind boulder* Uh...sorry for making you guys cry? If I promise more WildeHopps fluff in the next chapter, would that make up for the sadness here?**

**Translations:**

**Pirata: Pirate**

**Ole-Climar: Smell-Weather (Yeah I know, dumb pun and not spelled correctly for Bellwether’s name, but, Nick had to get those puns from somewhere, right? Plus its just fun to say. XD)**

**Horrible oveja sucia:Horrible Dirty Sheep**

 


	41. El foso de la desesperación

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork coming soon for this piece. ;)

**Chapter 41** _**El foso de la desesperación** _

**Edited by Euphonemes**

**AN: I know it was a bit of a wait, but, I'm trying to be more descriptive in my writing so that took quite a while to go through this and try and fix some things up to sound better. That and I was working on another story for the "What if...?" collaboration as well as for "Zootopia 2: Sequel to the Movie". I'm already working on the next chapter, and getting the permissions for what is going to be coming up soon. Also, I'm finding my plans for this story are constantly shifting in regards to specific scenes and how I want them to go, so that has delayed this chapter quite a bit as a make plans for future chapters. But not to worry, I think you guys are going to love what I have in store for you all coming up.**

**So with that, enjoy!**

* * *

The sun rose to the sight of a fox and bunny, cuddled together in their cliffside cave. At some point in the night, Nick had slumped to the ground and wrapped himself around Judy, his tail covering her nearly completely. Judy must not have minded, as when her eyes blinked opened, she found herself cuddling his tail like the carrot shaped pillow she had back home as a kit.

Finding the warmth of his tail too intoxicating, the bunny closed her eyes, her paw aimlessly stroking Nick's tail. She giggled when a purring sound came from the tod, and she wished she had some way of transcribing that sound to use against him later as it was too cute.

Snuggled deep into his warm tail, with Nick's arms wrapped around her, Judy paid no attention to the slight cough from the entrance of the cavern. She simply burrowed herself further into Nick's fur until the coughing ceased.

A few minutes later, she was nearly asleep once more…when a sudden downpour of icy water bathed her in its frosty chill.

Judy and Nick jumped to their feet, crying out in alarm, eyes wide in shock as they quickly took in their surroundings. Nick was the first to spot Ake'cheta, the coyote smiling while leaning against the cave wall.

"You…" Nick growled.

"Should have woken up the first time," Ake'cheta said with a shrug. Judy and Nick stared at the coyote as he wandered to a corner, collecting his gear as he went. "We're less than a day's walk from el foso de la desesperación. Take only what you need, we're hiding the rest here."

Grumbling from his sudden shower, Nick wandered through his gear on the ground and began packing up his unused sleeping pad while Judy did the same. In a few moments they were on the road again, their gear safely stored in an alcove within the cavern they had tented in for the night as they decided travelling light would be best for now. The mood from the previous night, while not jovial, was better compared to the feelings that settled upon the three travelers as they travelled towards their destination.

They knew nothing about what they were walking into, except the rumors and stories that Ake'cheta's tribe had passed down for thirty years. The tales of missing coyote braves who thought they could face the perils within the steep canyons and raging rivers, or of wayward travelers who became lost within the winding paths and stumbled upon the remains of ones who weren't fortunate enough to escape.

After the third story, even Judy had a feeling of nervousness pooling in her gut, tempting her to grab Nick and run back to Zootopia and…

...and then what? As they continued their cautious trek forward, she pondered that thought. What  _would_  she have to gain by turning around now? She wasn't a Capitán anymore so she had nothing to go back to at the fort. Her career was over, ruined by that insidious ewe. If they went back now, what would she be able to say she'd accomplished in her short tenure at Fort Zootopia?

 _Nothing..._ Judy thought before looking to the fox walking beside her. Nick held a thin grimace as he walked forward, nose twitching slightly as if catching an off-scent now and then.  _I'm doing this for him..._ she thought, before mentally amending the statement.

_We're doing this for Zootopia._

"We're here…"

Judy and Nick halted. Ake'cheta stopped, turning to face them, yet their attention wasn't so much on him, as it was on what lay before them.

The path before them sloped downward at a steep grade, entering into a canyon that was as foreboding as the stories that described it.

"El foso de la desesperación," Nick and Judy said together.

Nick chuckled nervously. "Well I can certainly see how it got that name." He spotted several dead and dying trees littering the walls of the canyon, as well as a few tumbleweeds scattered along the canyon floor. "Not much to be happy about in there."

Ake'cheta flicked an ear in irritation. "Countless mammals have died within these walls," he stated, nodding towards the bluffs standing barely fifty yards apart. "Their spirits cry out in anguish if you listen with your own."

"Alright, well, that's not at all creepy," Nick said while clapping his paws together. "Carrots, hear any morose cries from within?"

Judy shook her head. "I only hear the river and the wind coming through the canyon."

Ake'cheta spoke up as he turned and strode towards the path between the bluffs. "That would be the río de la muerte."

"Oh, great!" Judy forced a laugh. "So we're entering the pit of despair  _while_  walking beside the river of death."

Nick cocked a smile. "Hopps, is it just me, or do I detect a bit of fear in your voice?" The fox gave the air a good sniff and grinned. "Because I sure do smell it."

"It is okay to be afraid in here," Ake'cheta warned as the three moved forward, their paws a little closer to their weapons than before. "The fear will keep you alive...hopefully."

"Great…" Nick muttered. "And why is it that we can't just simply walk atop the bluffs?" The fox pointed at the tops of the cliffs that were steadily rising to either side of them.

"One way in, two ways out," the coyote huffed before turning his head to look at the pair behind him.

Judy raised an eyebrow. "Why two ways out? Wouldn't it be the same going in as coming out?"

Without turning, Ake'cheta replied. "You can leave either alive, or dead."

Nick and Judy looked at one another, nodded once, then went quiet as they took their first few tentative steps into the canyon, chills running down their spines as they entered.

* * *

The canyon was toying with them, playing tricks on their ears and eyes. At least that is what Judy felt after nearly an hour within its shadow filled walls. With each new noise, each echo off the darkened walls, she felt more eyes, more... _somethings_  bearing down on her.

"I  _know_  that I heard something that time, Nick!"

Judy was pointing towards the top of the canyons around them. " _Someone_  is up there and I could definitely  _hear_  someone up there not a moment ago!"

Nick glanced at the spot Judy pointed to, scowling when he saw nothing but an outcropping of rocks. It was the fifth time she had claimed to have heard something. With ears like hers, he wouldn't put it past her to have heard something, but he hadn't seen anything besides the lizard from the first time he had glanced to where she had pointed.

"It's just the  _spirits_  playing tricks with your mind," Nick replied. He heard her agitated huff and walked closer to her, grabbing her paw and squeezing it gently. "I don't blame you mi conejita for being nervous. I can't tell you how many mammals I've smelled since we entered this cursed canyon, yet only one counts to me...you."

Ake'cheta huffed. "You're smelling mostly dead ones from long ago, Don Wilde."

Nick frowned, glaring at the back of the coyote. "That's a mood dampener if I've ever heard one."

"This canyon is not the place for good thoughts. Happiness comes here to die, according to the stories my people tell around campfires."

_Thunk...thunk, thunk-tha-thunk thunk thunk splash._

Three sets of eyes shot towards the northern wall of the canyon. Several small stones were bouncing down the side of the canyon wall, cracking and breaking before plopping into the river, disappearing into its current.

Nick looked at the top of the canyon, then to Judy. "Did you hear something that time, Carrots? I really hope you did."

She shook her head, ears angled towards the spot less than fifty yards away. One paw tightened along the grip of her sword, while the other squeezed Nick's paw. She walked forward carefully, ears alert to anything that could tell them if they had company. There was no use in hiding or walking with caution. They were at the bottom of a canyon, no cover in sight and the only escape they could possibly make if they walked into an ambush would be to jump into the river and pray for their survival.

"Now I'm kind of feeling this was a bad idea…" Nick grumbled. His own ears were alert and tail frizzled and puffed out behind him. He glanced over to Judy. "So, any plans in case we've walked into an ambush?"

The doe glared at the path ahead. "Can you swim?"

"Of course I can swim," Nick replied before pausing. "Oh no...rabbit, no. No...

Shrugging her shoulders, Judy kept walking forward. "That's the only plan I have. That or hope we meet nobody on our way-"

An earth shattering explosion shook the ground, sending the three travelers to the dusty trail. Nick jumped atop Judy, shielding her while looking around for where the explosion came from.

"Nick!" Judy grouched while pushing and shoving at him. "Get off!"

"Sorry," Nick mumbled when he saw the coast was clear. "Just...wanted to make sure you were going to be okay."

Judy sent Nick an appreciative smile as they stood, dusting themselves off. "I understand, mi zorro."

They saw Ake'cheta dozens of meters ahead at a dead sprint. They looked at each other, then to the coyote, before bolting after him.

"Ake'cheta!" Nick yelled. "What are you doing?"

The coyote paid them no heed and kept running. It took minutes for them to catch up, and when questioned, the canine remained silent to their requests. It wasn't until a second explosion, one not so distant, did the coyote stall in his sprint.

Breathing heavily, the three jogged around a corner, slowing even further as the canyon widened and the path became littered with debris and refuse. Large boulders dotted the landscape while scattered stones created a rocky terrain as if a landslide had at some point filled where they currently stood.

"What happened here?" Judy asked, marvelling at the destruction.

Nick brought his nose close to a larger rock near the canyon wall and sniffed. "Black powder. Someone's been dynamiting this area." He looked around, confusion in his eyes. "But why?"

"Are they searching for something?" Judy wondered aloud as she ran across several piles of dirt dumped by the river. With no cliff dropping to the river below, she was able to walk straight to the edge of the channel. Kneeling in the loose soil, she too took on a confused look as Nick padded up to her. She turned to him and pointed at the dirt. "This isn't natural."

"The dirt?" Nick asked. "It looks like it to me, but I'm no carrot farmer, so I'll take your word for it."

"Har har…" Judy faux-laughed. "No, I mean how it's piled along the river. This whole area is rocky and covered with loose pebbles, except for the edge where the river touches. It's like someone dug this up and tried to toss it into the river to get rid of it."

Nick scratched his head. "Now this really is confusing." He counted his fingers. "First we have random explosions, second, haphazard dirt tossing?" He again looked around the area they were in. "What are they doing here?"

"Or more importantly…" Judy started to say as she rose and looked around at the mess before meeting Nick's eyes. "What are they looking for?"

"Are you two really that daft?"

The echoed voice rippled around them, jolting both of them from their thoughts. "I know that voice," both exclaimed at once, drawing their swords. The echoes of clapping could be heard ricocheting off the walls of the canyon.

"Bravo on making it this far, ex-Capitán Hopps and mi amor Wilde."

"Show yourself!" Judy shouted into the wind, grinding her teeth. "Ex-Capitán Skye and  _Ex-amor_ of Nicholas."

The clapping stopped immediately as a growl punctuated the air. At the opposite end of the canyon, about twenty yards away, an arctic fox clad in all black slowly appeared from behind a boulder.

"You!" Judy snarled, unsheathing her sword as she stood between the vixen and Nick. "We should have known you would have been involved in all this."

"Well bravo to you for your increíble deduction, Capitán Hopps," Skye stated in a demure voice, almost a purr as she advanced on the pair of mammals. Her eyes, narrowed while looking at Judy, took on a wicked gleam when she turned her attention to Don Wilde. "Nick, you really picked a second rate companion to replace me in your bed. I'd have thought you would have chosen...well, not,  _this._ " Skye waved at Judy with a glimmer of mirth in her eyes as she shrugged. "Eh, we all slide eventually."

Judy ground her teeth together as she advanced a step. Skye raised a paw to halt a bored yawn leaving her muzzle, continuously watching the rabbit. "By all means, take another step. I'd enjoy beating you again, little bunny."

"Judy…" Nick rasped as he looked around them, letting his sword fall by his side. "I think we should listen to her…"

"What?" Judy snapped back at him, glancing only quickly behind her, only to do a double take a moment later. Her raised sword faltered when she saw mammals appearing over the top of boulders, armed with crossbows and, to her greater worry, muskets. The tip of her sword touched the ground and eyes widened as she looked around further, spotting mammals already pointing guns at her and Nicholas from atop the cliffs nearby while more entered the area from the direction Skye had come.

"Well, well…" Skye sheathed her sword and took several steps forward, Judy following her advance with an ear turned behind her. "I've heard you rabbits like leaping before you look, but this…" The arctic fox waved a paw around them and laughed. "This takes the carrot cake."

Judy turned to face Skye while cautiously backing up towards Nick, and it was only then she noticed something.

"Nick…" she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear her. "Where's Ake'cheta?"

"I've been wondering that myself…" Nick growled.

Skye marched to within five feet of the two mammals, close enough so that her sword was uncomfortably close to them. She circled them, sizing them up with an appraising gaze. "I am impressed that you made it this far, though that won't stop me from ending your lives."

Judy shivered at the uncomfortable feeling of cold steel sliding against her neck from behind. Looking down, she saw the tip of a dagger just in the corner of her vision. Glancing at Nick, she could see the look of cold fury in Nick's eyes. The fox took a step forward, only for the blade to connect with Judy's flesh. The bunny gasped at the pressure, halting Nick in his tracks.

"Well, well, well…" Skye mused. "You can teach an old fox new tricks." The vixen grinned, staring coldly towards her former fiancé. "Now let's see you learn another one….beg. Or she dies."

Judy saw Nick gritting his teeth, as well as the mass of armed mammals surrounding them drawing closer. Only when she saw Nick beginning to drop to his knees did Judy react.

"Don't Nick! It's a hustl-ah!"

The edge of the dagger kissed her neck, a thin line of crimson appearing along its lethal edge as she heard Skye growl. "Did I give you permission to speak, little bunny?"

"Judy," Nick warned, as Skye's eyes flicked back to him. It was only then he smiled. "Thanks for the tip, Fluff."

He watched in satisfaction as Skye blinked, then narrowed her eyes. As her mouth opened, Nick raised a paw.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he said, waggling his finger. "You said that your being impressed wouldn't stop you from ending our lives, which means, that something else is why both Judy and I are still alive, no?"

Skye grit her teeth, removing the edge of the knife from Judy's neck, the rabbit breathing a sigh of relief as she jumped away from the arctic fox towards Nick. Instantly she was facing Skye again, who looked even angrier than before.

"You were always a clever one," she said, jamming the dagger back into its sheath on her right leg. "And yes, you are correct. If it were up to me, I would have already happily removed  _her_  head from her body and taking  _you_  as my prize."

"Not happening on either count," Nick rejoined, his confidence growing by the second and passing along to Judy. The doe smiled, bumping Nick with her elbow before giving him a wink. She turned to face the vixen while the mass of troops finished closing in on the three mammals.

"Now," Judy began. "I assume that you are here as the welcoming committee and will be taking us to your leader? As I know you can't be the one leading this ragtag group."

Skye's face remained neutral, yet the agitated swish of her tail showed Judy she'd gotten under the vixen's fur. Judy continued. "You seem to enjoy working alone, so I couldn't see you working with anyone who you considered beneath you, especially as you were a capitán once. I'm  _positive_  that these outlaws wouldn't enjoy taking orders from you, right? You might never have left your former job after all."

A few guns lowered slightly around them, as several of the bandits muttered amongst themselves, yet to Judy's excellent hearing, she could hear the quiet words questioning the arctic vixen's motives. A hedgehog in blue was arguing with his compadre, a scowling echidna with a red bandanna. The zebra right behind Skye was whispering harshly towards his lion companion, the predator nodding and scowling at the vixen.

Judy smiled.  _It's working..._

Looking up at Nick, she saw the tod smiling all too smugly, with him hopping on her train of thought. "You know," he began, noticing how quickly Skye's gaze switched to him, one filled with a mix of contempt and...something else. He shrugged the latter off. "I seem to have remembered all those undercover operations you pulled while capitán." He chuckled, raising his paws while shrugging. "I'm sure it would be easy for you to do the same here. Work your way up the ranks, stepping on those below you who have been here for years…"

The muttering around them rose as Skye now looked around here. "Silence, whelp! Before I cut out your tongue!" she snarled, stepping forward.

Nick just smiled more broadly. "I thought you liked my tongue?" The brash comment raised some snickers from the ragtag group surrounding them, as well as a very shocked bunny to his right. "Sorry Carrots," he whispered, in a voice so low only she could hear. "Just following your script. If we can get them to turn on her, I'm thinking we're in for a swim together, no?"

He watched her barely nodding at his comment, though also giving him a look that he knew meant he'd be explaining himself later. "In fact," Nick continued loudly, chuckling more so than before. "I remember you mentioned that the night before you disappeared. You know, the night you said you had another undercover mission you had to-"

Nick never finished his sentence, as the sharp crack of a sword pommel against his muzzle silenced him.

"Nick!" Judy yelled, ears shooting up in alarm as the fox fell to his knees, groaning and shaking his head to clear the stars swimming through his vision. Her angry, amethyst gaze turned on Skye, a vibrant snarl escaping the rabbit's lips. "I don't think your master would appreciate that, Capitán Skye."

Skye pointed her sword at Judy, snarling as she spoke. "Don't you call me that." The tip of the blade pressed against Judy's chest, the rabbit suddenly breathing much heavier than before as she felt the pressure of cold steel against her breast. "And you have been talking long enough, vermin."

"The only vermin here is you," Judy stated, then instantly regretting it as the point of Skye's blade pressed tighter against her. "And you might want to get that blade away from us. Again, I doubt your master would like us harmed."

The barest hint of a smile appeared on Skye's face. The vixen began to chuckle, stepping back a foot as it turned into full blown laughter. Judy watched her for a moment, confused by the state of the vixen who was smiling widely now. "Oh, poor, poor, Capitán Hopps." She took several slow, sashaying steps forward. She reached out her left paw, roughly grabbing the bunny by her muzzle and jerking her forward. The vixen's aquamarine eyes bored into Judy's own with a chilling gaze.

"You simply don't understand my master," Skye simply purred into Judy's ears, sending another worrisome thought through the doe's mind. "As long as I simply deliver you to him, I don't think he'll mind in what condition you show up."

_CRRRACK!_

Skey's sword-holding right paw smashed into Nick's head, knocking the fox onto his back, his eyes rolling back as he lay motionless on the grimy ground. Judy blinked back her horror at seeing her love unmoving on the ground, bleeding slightly from his right brow.

She turned when she saw movement, watching Skye's fist smash into her own muzzle...and all went dark.

Skye looked down at the two unconscious mammals laying at her paws. She wiped her pommel clear of both their blood, spitting on the ground between them, their paws barely inches from clasping each other. Snarling in rage, she kicked their arms, splitting them further apart as she trudged past them, tail waving angrily back and forth.

"¡Únete a ellos y llévalos al calabozo! ¡Ahora!"

Skye watched with satisfaction as a donkey grabbed the bunny and fox by their legs and dragged them deeper into the canyon. Her gaze flickered about the cliffs above them as her troops marched behind the two prisoners. With a final flick of her tail, she departed.

* * *

Unseen by the vixen, a pair of eyes watched the troops move out. Once they were gone, the coyote rose from his hiding place among the debris and refuse underneath an overhang in the cliff wall. Shaking his fur of the dust that clung to it, Ake'cheta rose, looking at the spot where his companions had fallen, then to where they had been dragged off.

"Lah teioiánere..."

* * *

**Spanish Translations**

**El foso de la desesperación-** The pit of Despair

 **Increíble-** Incredible

 **¡Únete a ellos y llévalos al calabozo! ¡Ahora!** : Bind them and take them to the dungeon! Now!

**Mohawk Translation:**

**Lah teioiánere** : "Not good


	42. Escape!

**Chapter 42 Escape!**

**Edited by Euphonemes**

****

* * *

Judy groaned, blinking her eyes and gritting her teeth at the pain swelling in her head. Darkness was a friend which encompassed her, all except a single, flickering torch in the distance.

"Nicholas..."

The word was as throaty, heavy, and dry as the scorching Califurnia sun. She licked her parched lips, her sight acclimating to the darkness surrounding her. Faraway torchlight danced merrily in its sconce, reflecting against the solid, rocky surface beneath her paws as she groped in the darkness for her companion. A pathetic attempt in the darkness as she fumbled around, like a blind mammal for their lost cane.

_Clink._

Metal sounded harsh against the rock wall. The pull of cold steel biting her ankle restrained her movements. Surprised, she tried again, only to find herself limited by a chain encasing her left leg.

"Ay caramba..." She began noticing slight details about her accommodations while enclosed by the unnaturally cold and dense shadows. The slight gleam of rusty metal bars, thick with rust and caked in grime, stood several feet away from her. She found the source of her chained ankle: an eyelet several feet above her head, drilled into the wall and locked so tightly in its casings that she doubted even McHorn could have shattered it.

The steady 'drip...drip...drip' of water falling nearby.

The echoes of faint voices, calling in the distance, accompanying the groans and sobs of others.

A light, raspy but rhythmic intake of breath near her.

Eventually, even her eyesight allowed her to see a faint, huddled form chained to the grainy wall. He was still out, judging by his slow, rhythmic breathing. It eased her heart, though without seeing him clearly she still worried if any head wound lingered from the blow struck by the pommel of Skye's sword. Slowly she stood, stretching her stiff legs, and walked towards him, only to feel the chain jerk her foot harshly less than half the distance from him. Measuring her strides showed her limit to be roughly four feet, and, if Nick's chain was near the same length...

They wouldn't even be able to hold paws...she realized in growing frustration. Judy sighed in frustration, pinching her nose and letting out a melancholic groan. She wanted the comfort Nick could give her, and to offer him some solace as well. But, even something as simple as the warmth of his fur against her own wouldn't be.

"Carrot sticks..." Judy wondered how Nick and her had wound up in this situation. She cursed herself for not being more cautious in the canyon. She  _knew_  they were being watched, and could now look back and see the signs clearly. "At least Ake'cheta isn't here."

_And you and Nick are still alive..._ her mind reminded her. It was like her father always told her…

'Judes, just look for the silver lining, as you'll never be rich enough to find gold ones.'

She snorted at the memories of her father's words of wisdom, her favorite coming to mind. 'If you never try, you never fail'.

_Truly words of wisdom_ , she thought in quiet amusement. Staring into the darkness, barely able to move, imprisoned in a cave somewhere miles away from home and safety…

"Is this worth all the effort?" the doe wondered aloud, staring into nothingness while leaning against the cold, barren cell wall. Had she and Nick succeeded at all in this venture, or had they just become another two mammals to find shallow graves and be forgotten while the villains escaped justice?

All she could do at the moment was hope they were doing enough.

She slumped against the chilly, bumpy wall, doing her best to focus on what she knew and could sense about her current situation. Her gaze kept straying to the huddled form across from her. Her shoulders sagged as she rubbed her paws together. The thought of Nick holding her from behind, his tail wrapping her in its marvelous warmth gave her the illusion of peace...until she opened her eyes once more and saw no tail around her feet, no arms around her chest.

She gave one more look at Nick, and he was as still as the stone surrounding them. "Focus, Judy...what can you learn about this place..."

With her ears trained towards the barred entrance, Judy closed her eyes and focused.

_Echoes of voices...dripping water somewhere...Nick's breathing..._

She sighed and shook her head. Most likely they were in some sort of cavern system, probably an old underground river channel if the smoothness of the rock wall bracing her was any indication. Idly clawing at the wall revealed it as sandstone, rough, yet easy to scratch off and slightly malleable. A chore to burrow through, but manageable if it came to that.

Judy idly passed the time picking at the rock wall behind her. Several times the flickering of light preceded a guard patrolling their cell. None of them stopped, just casually glanced in to make sure they were there before traipsing on, the light disappearing once more, shadowing Judy in darkness again.

She wasn't sure when she slept, the difference between her eyes open or closed non-existent in the darkness. The doe was sure of one sound, though, that shot through the air like a muted musket's blast.

_Ka-Klink._

"Finally!"

Ears swiveled towards Nick, unseen in the darkness but noisy in his movements. Judy's ears found him easily.

"Nick?" Whispering to catch his attention, she rattled her chains, hoping he'd figure out where she was.  _Maybe his chains are long enough so we can reach each other?_

A quiet chuckling brought a hint of concern to her, though. It was not the reaction she wanted.

"Carrots, if you are trying to do an impression of a ghost, you are doing an espléndido* job of it."

Judy couldn't help but roll her eyes, shaking her chains once more. " _I am the ghost of Carrots..."_

She could feel his own eyes rolling as he laughed his reply. "Alright, you're milking it now."

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Nick."

"Spoken like a true ghost."

"Oh hush. And what was that clinking sound?"

"Oh, that? It was just this..."

Judy heard a shuffling of feet against coarse rock and the scraping of claws against stone drawing closer to her.

"I don't think your chains will let you more than halfway, Nick," Judy said. "Tried that already-oh..."

Her thoughts stalled when an arm bumped into her nose, sending it into a twitching frenzy. A muttered apology and a second later, two arms she recognized immediately wrapped themselves around her torso as a gentle kiss landed between her ears.

Judy blinked in surprise as his paws followed her arms to the chains around them. In all the motions he did, she didn't hear the one thing that should have been as obvious as the darkness concealing them...

"Did they not chain you up?" Judy asked, as his paws found the manacles on her left arm.

"Oh, they did. They just didn't count on one thing."

"And that was?"

_Ka-Klink._

The weight upon her arm disappeared, and the intrusive feeling of metal against fur dropped to the ground with a soft 'thud'.

"I'm a fox."

She was sure of the self-satisfied, smug look he must have been wearing. Judy raised her now freed paw, rubbing the raw fur and flesh tenderly as Nick's paws made quick work of the second manacle.

"Clever fox," she whispered as she traced his arms to his muzzle. And once she found it, she brought it close for a quick and chaste kiss.

She could feel Nick hum into the kiss, returning it with vigor as a paw cupped her cheek. Ending the kiss was nearly as hard as the stone they sat upon, so Judy quickly dove in for another.

"My, my..." Nick breathed huskily when they finally moved apart. "If that is the prize for freeing you, then I'd gladly reattach those manacles a hundred times over."

Judy grinned. "Just a hundred times?"

"Cheeky bunny."

"Smart fox."

With a soft 'oof', Nick placed himself next to her, the two leaning against each other and holding paws as they stared into the inky blackness surrounding them.

Nick decided after several minutes of peaceful bliss that they needed a plan. "How long have you been up for?"

"Not sure, could have been hours. Was trying to keep count of the drips from wherever they are coming from, but lost count at around 275."

"That or you fell asleep."

"I did not."

"You snore, mi amor."

"Wh..what?" Judy stuttered.

"Like a logger's sawmill-OOF!"

"Jerk!" Judy's punch landed in his side like a comet. Though just as quickly, that same paw started rubbing the impact site. "Sorry..."

Nick placed his paw over hers and held it tenderly while flashing a cheeky smile. "Did I deserve that? No, no I did not." Before Judy could object, Nick pressed on. "So...we must have been in here for hours, and I can assume that they'll have been searching for Ake'cheta while we've been in here."

"Which is why they haven't come for us, yet," Judy added, staring through the iron bars and imagining the freedom beyond their cold prison. "If they would have found him, they would have brought us out already. They want us all together to gloat."

"Most likely," Nick added. "Monologuing is what villains do best, no? And if they don't find him soon,  _then_  they'll come to see us if we know where he went. Can't have their hideout revealed if Ake'cheta escapes, after all."

Judy scratched at her chin, leaning back into Nick's soft embrace. "So where would Ake'cheta do in a situation like this? Do you know Ake'cheta well, Nick?"

"Besides his frightening ability to summon spirits to attack his enemies, to conceal himself perfectly in broad daylight with nothing but a straight twig and a glare? Not much. So don't worry. If it's been a few hours, they won't find him."

"Do you think he's gone for help?"

It was Nick's turn to scratch at his muzzle. "Possibly...though his tribe is leagues away from here so we wouldn't be able to expect help for days, and we still don't know where we are."

"True..." Judy sighed, slumping her shoulders. "At least we can try and figure out what we can do for our part."

Nick nodded his agreement. "Which is why I have just the plan..."

Judy turned to look up at him, grinning broadly. "Please, Señor Wilde. Do tell."

* * *

Jackson's duty in the Pit of Despair was an easy one, the donkey felt; guarding the prisoners was as simple as walking past their cells and making sure they weren't dead. Though his job was tedious, and the bare rock walls, creepy echoes and vacant stares of the prisoners were sometimes disturbing, he was grateful for his station. The whole route through winding corridors and dark, barren, tomb-like caves took barely an hour, the cavern circular and with only one entrance and exit. Thankfully, the prior guard, a forgetful elephant named Jumbeaux, had marked arrows on the walls, the faint chalky outlines delineating how far along the path he was. Cell block locations and directions towards the entrance would be helpful in case he ended up walking in circles.

The donkey passed by one such crude chalk sign on the wall, 'Turn around Dumbo.' "Idiota," Jackson chuckled, his hooves treading across the rocky, uneven terrain before passing the first cell for his first run of the day. Inside was a fox and bunny, glaring at each other a great divide. An emotional chasm between them as deep and dark as the caves themselves felt chilly even to Jackson.

"I will  _not_  give you a hug!" the fox growled, turning his head, red scarf flipping over his shoulder while he did his best not to look at the bunny's pleading face. Annoyance lined his features while his tail angrily flicked behind him.

"Please, Zieg?" she asked, arms outstretched towards him. A combination of twitching nose, limp ears and longing look was devastating to behold. Jackson looked away immediately, the bunny's pleading stare almost breaking his heart, his hoof already reaching for the keys on his belt.  _I don't know how that fox hasn't given in yet, that stare is too cute._

"I am NOT cute!" came a feminine shout.

Jackson jumped, flicking his torch to light the cell to see that same innocent, ear-drooped bunny now glaring at him. A fire deeper and more passionate than his torch burned within those eyes.

_Can she read minds?_

"I know that look, that 'isnt she a cute little rabbit look so stop it right now you jack-".

He bolted from that particular cell, unsure of the prisoner rabbit's abilities and not wanting to find out, her heated eyes boring holes through his coat until he turned the corner. Another quarter mile through the dark, damp and crumbling passage, narrowly missing stalactites and a muddy, gurgling stream which poured from a sizable hole in the wall and drained into another opposite it, and he was at the second cell block.

Again, this one only contained two prisoners in the alcove dug into the cave wall. The cramped space within, short enough to where Jackson needed to bend to see within, contained some of the newer prisoners. He rather enjoyed messing with the newer inmates, as breaking their spirits sent his soaring in this dull atmosphere deep within the earth.

The white furred wolf inside was sitting where he always was: against the wall, holding onto his wife, a female thylacine, whispering words of sweetness to her as Jackson bent down and rapped on the bars. The noise drew a whimper from the thylacine and a harsh glare as cold as ice from the wolf.

"Don't worry my sweet Pumpkin. I won't let anything happen to you."

The donkey wasn't sure why he referred to her as 'his Pumpkin,' but the sickeningly saccharine scene, the polar opposite of the prior cell's antagonism thick like San Furcisco fog, was enough to incite a nasty headache. He again hurried on his way, rubbing his temples. They had been Skye's personal prisoners, the vixen dragging them in when she returned from her last assignment. She boldly claimed she wanted them, but wouldn't explain why to the likes of Jackson. The feeling of irksome belittlement he had once felt months ago when told he shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the vixen were long gone, diffused and scattered like chaff in the wind after seeing the vixen's anger against one of their 'former' associates who'd decided to test her.

The marking of the cross upon his chest for his deceased colleague was instinctually and he moved on with his thoughts.

Several more scenes unfolded in a dozen other cells. Cramped, dingy alcoves, filled with dirt and mold. The straw placed as bedding was beyond filthy, yet the mammals chained inside didn't seem to mind. They were as filthy as the straw, after all. Most of the prisoners at this late hour had succumbed to their exhaustion and lay passed out on the rocky floors. Others stared at him with vacant eyes, filled with the despair Jackson expected to see in this  _foso_ *.

He knew the end of his circuit was imminent. The chill in the air devoured what little heat rose from his torch. He shivered as his fur cooled, and he slow-stepped down the trail coated with icy residue from the nearly-frozen stream. He was particularly eager to see the last two prisoners, as he had been told they'd been a particular thorn in his boss's side for quite a while now.

Especially the rabbit.

He had heard she'd taken out nearly all their boss's operations in Zootopia single-pawed, had defeated a batch of their toughest desperados en route here, and had fought Skye without dying. That last one was impressive enough to make him beg for this shift, just so he could see this rabbit up close before Skye killed her. Judging by the sounds of the arctic vixen screaming at their boss, he'd heard before walking down here to the dungeons, the rabbit's demise had to be close, whether the moose wanted Skye to do it or not.

"I wonder what she'll look like..." the donkey murmured as he neared the cell, his imagination concocting visions of some Angus MacAskill bunny. His thoughts crashed to a halt as he slipped upon the slime. He measured his steps much more carefully as he rounded the final bend, coming upon the cell, his anticipation growing with each step. His eagerness was soon dashed when he waved the torch near the bars and only saw a single prisoner: a fox holding his bulging stomach and bearing a satisfied grin.

"Where's the bunny?" Jackson asked, scratching his head.

Even with his extended belly, the fox swaggered towards the bars, and Jackson instinctively stepped back. "I ate her liver...with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." His grin felt colder than the very air. "And then I couldn't resist dining on the rest of her delicious corpse."

A cold shiver ran down the donkey's spine. "You...you what?"

The fox motioned for the donkey to step forward, and against his rational mind's warning to stay put, his body complied. When the hoofed mammal reached the bars of the cell, the fox whispered into his ear.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart!"

In a flash, the tod grabbed the donkey by his ears and slammed his head against the bars with a sickening metallic clang. Jackson suffered two more nasty blows before he slumped to the ground, laying in a pool of his own drool and blood.

Nick shook his head and wiped his paws together, his grin only growing. "Did you get the keys dangling from his belt there, Carrots?"

Judy poked her paw out from under Nick's shirt, a round metal ring with several large keys dangling from it. Her head appeared a moment later, the torch laying on the ground nearby showing her buck toothed grin.

"Got em!"

"Alright, then come on out and let's get this door unlocked."

Just as quickly as she appeared, Judy once more disappeared under his shirt. Nick waited a moment, sighing when that moment turned into a minute.

"Carrots..." he teasingly admonished. "As much as I love spending time alone in the dark with you, I believe we have things to do, no?"

"Just one more minute?" she asked, her voice pleading. "You're so comfy."

Nick groaned.

* * *

Judy hopped out shortly after his audible complaint, enjoying the embarrassing blush spreading along Nick's ears. After undoing the lock, they pulled in the donkey guard and shackled him with their own chains. Judy had the smart and devious idea to use his bandana as a gag to keep him from raising an alarm. Nick was happy to take the animal's sword, and while heavy and larger than his own, his experimental swings showed promise. Judy took the flintlock from the donkey's belt, double checking the pouches along the desperado's belt for extra ammo and powder. Now armed and slightly more optimistic, the two looked at both paths they could take.

"So, where to, my capitána?" Nick asked.

Judy looked down the direction the donkey had come from, pointing before they hurried in that direction. They nearly shot past the first cell they came across, but skidded to a stop when they heard a moan from within. Peering through the bars, the malnourished form of a black panther appeared, one eye swollen shut from a series of gashes across his face.

"We can't just leave them here," was all Judy had to say before Nick unlocked the door and then the panther within.

From there, Judy and Nick knew they couldn't leave behind the rest of Skye's prisoners. Each new cell increased the number of mammals they freed until a long line snaked its way through the cave system, the slow, cautious group staying silent as they moved through the dungeon.

They were nearly done with their liberation when Judy began to worry. "Nick?" The fox looked down at her. "That guard is going to be missed soon. I know I want to rescue everyone here, but…"

Nicholas stroked her fallen ears. "But you're worried whether this," he waved his paw behind them at the trickling thread of mammals disappearing far beyond the torchlight, "will all be for naught?"

Judy nodded. "I didn't think there'd be so many of them. Why are they all here?"

"Because we dig," a gravelly voice behind them stated. The two leading mammals turned to see the panther step behind them. "We've all been kidnapped for one purpose: to dig. We know not for what, and we dare not ask. For those who ask, die."

"All the more reason to free everyone now, huh, Carrots."

Nodding her assent, they continued forward to the next cell. Nick's tail bushed out, and he ran to the bars. "Eliot? Chloe?"

The white wolf inside looked up from his protective hold over his wife. "Nicholas?" The wolf's tail began to wag as Judy appeared within the torchlight. "And Capitána Hopps! Oh, Pumpkin! We're saved!"

Nick had the door unlocked and wrapped his arms around his friends. "Don and Mistress Fanghanel, what happened? How did you get in here? You were just at my gala!"

Eliot blushed, his cheeks brightening. "Well...I was distracted by my sweet Pumpkin's beauty and took her on a walk through the vineyards after leaving. And we…"

"We were ambushed," Chloe finished for her husband, whose wagging tail failed him.

"I'm sorry, my sweet Pumpkin," he said in a woeful tone, tail curling around his wife as he trembled. "I failed you so badly." The warble of his voice showed his anguish for all to hear and only a brief nuzzle from his wife stopped the sniffles he so desperately tried to hold back like a cracking dam.

"No you didn't, sweetie," Chloe stated cheerfully, placing a gentle kiss upon his nose. The wolf quieted, pleading eyes begging for an explanation. "You took down a lot of that group that attacked us to protect me. Yes, we were captured, but you've done your best to protect me at every turn, and  _have_  protected me from these foul, twisted mammals imprisoning us since. None have laid a paw on me thanks to you."

Eliot's tail wagging began anew as he enclosed his bride in a massive hug. Both Nick and Judy smiled fondly at the scene, sharing a discreet glance towards each other, the love sparking in their own eyes,. Nick quietly took Judy's paw and placed a kiss upon it. "Someday, Judy," he whispered as he cupped her cheek. "Someday we will have this and more."

Judy's smile was warm and glowing, filling the cavern, and Nick's heart floated with light and joy. "I'd like that, Nicholas. Very much."

The scene, however, had to come to an end, and after several minutes of watching the Fanghanels' impromptu cuddle session, Judy's heavy cough into her paw signalled to the couple that time was precious. "Anyone know how many cells are left?" Judy asked to the group behind them.

"Just one," Manchas offered with a chuckle, "though I think you'll find them to be amusing."

Nick and Judy's reactions were the same. Each raised an eyebrow before the group continued onward, guided by the flickering flame of their torch and a rekindled hope in their cause. They stepped over a stream trickling across the path, and almost immediately after, the sound of a rather heated argument rose from a dull echo into obvious shouts.

"I will not be giving you a hug! You're just trying to seduce me with your cute ways-stop it with the lowered ears!"

Rounding a corner, the freed prisoners found quite the eclectic scene before them. Most had been used to the two mammals arguing, as they'd been doing so since they had been brought in, yet the scene was cast with such an oddness that, outside the cell, the fox and bunny's only reaction was to stop and stare.

"I'm so pure and innocent, I just want a hug," the rabbit inside the cell stated, sniffling as she held her arms out in a pleading motion.

"Go hug yourself!" the fox in the long, flowing red scarf shot back, staring into the corner of the cell as far as possible from the doe.

Several snickers and murmured comments came from behind Nick and Judy as the argument continued before them.

"Those two need to get a room…"

"They're already in one."

"Why won't he give her a hug? Is he an evil fox?"

"Look at her, she's trying every trick in the book to sneak a hug! She's a diabolical bunny!"

Nick and Judy stared at one another in confusion. "Should we just...leave them here?" Nick offered, pointing down the path towards where he assumed the exit was.

Judy cast a cursory glance towards the arguing...couple? Friends? Enemies? She couldn't really tell, though the signs pointed to them usually being sweet on each other. Nick could certainly smell it, and he placed a paw gingerly upon Judy's shoulder. "I say we leave them be to their couple's quarrel."

"They're a couple?"

"Oh no…." Nick groaned, placing a paw over his head. The keys to the cell he'd been holding disappeared from his paw as a white blur of fur and friendliness rushed past him. "I just had to mention the 'c' word…"

Judy watched as Eliot first freed the bunny, then the fox, then squeezed both of them together in his arms while speaking as quickly as a hurricane. Finally she shook her head, shaken from the daze that had befallen her. "I didn't hear Eliot say cute."

"That wasn't the word I was thinking of, Carrots. I'll take, 'couple', for two hundred pesos."

"Oh…"

"Oh indeed."

It took several moments for the excited wolf to calm down, and many moments more to unwrap the blonde bunny and red fox from the fox's long scarf, tangling them up in exactly the kind of closeness that the fox had been avoiding with passion.

Finally back on track, the group followed the pathway, several chalk arrows guiding them out of the dungeon and hopefully toward open air. Along the way, Judy and Nick separated, asking the inmates about the path ahead, number of guards, and general layout of the caverns they were in. Ten minutes later they came back together, equally annoyed when each mammal had said the same thing. Each morning they were blindfolded and brought out of the caves, and each night they were blindfolded and brought back in.

They decided to march on anyway and eventually reached a junction, with two narrow paths separating into several even smaller paths. The only marker to show the caves were inhabited at all was hidden in a crevice...a small box filled with black, woolen blindfolds of all sizes.

A few mammals took turns walking as far down the paths as possible while still seeing the torch held by Judy. Each returned stating the same thing: several of the paths seemed to join together in a tangled, twisted replica of a braided stream. Other caverns headed in all directions while others ended abruptly, filled in with silt and sand. Two mammals returned, stating their paths had been blocked off by walls of stone and adobe.

"This is a quandary…" Nick muttered, listening to the growing discomfort behind them, as well as the argument that had rekindled between the the fox, who they learned was named Zieg, and the bunny, known as Rydia.

"Hush, Nick."

Nick raised his palms at the gruff retort from Judy. "My apologies, mi amor."

"Ssshhh."

"Uh, Judy?" Nick looked down to see her eyes closed tightly, ears flicking this way and that. "What are you doing?"

Her eyes opened, revealing their amethyst glow shining off the dimming light from the dying torch. "Listening for a way out."

"Listening?" he asked, before examining the torch held in her paw. He'd noticed before that the flames flickered and danced, and assumed it was due to their pace. However, while Judy was here, fully grounded and unmoving, the torch still flickered. "You're listening for the wind, aren't you…"

Judy nodded. "Now, if you could politely ask Rydia to help me as four ears are better than two. And also keep everyone quiet, please."

Nick smirked. "I think I can do you one better. Eliot?"

The white wolf's ears perked up. "Yes, Don Wilde?"

The fox's smirk widened into a grin, glinting brilliantly in tongues of torchlight. "How's your sniffer doing these days?"

* * *

**AN:** **Angus MacAskill was an actual giant from the early 1800's, and was world known to be the strongest man on the planet, reaching 7'4" by the time he was twenty, and his greatest feat lifting a 2800 pound anchor to his chest. So I felt that would be a suitable reference for Jackson to compare to the feats of this Herculean bunny he was imagining Judy to be. Just a random bit of trivia for you guys. :)**

**As for the story, looks like Judy, Nick and Co have made their escape, finding a few friends along the way. Now that everyone is together, what on earth are they planning? Let me know in a comment what you think may happen since ZiegRydia and Eliot are now involved. ;)**

**Translations**

**Foso- Pit**

**Espléndido - Splendid**


	43. Allies or Enemies

**Chapter 43 Allies or Enemies**

** **

**Edited by Euphonemes**

**Artwork by Knoton13**

**AN: A HUGE thanks to[Koraru-san](https://deviantart.com/koraru-san), [Ake'cheta(knoton13)](https://deviantart.com/knoton13), [Bluelighthouse](https://fanfiction.net/u/8291705/Bluelighthouse), [OceRydia](https://deviantart.com/ocerydia) and [Ziegelzeig](https://deviantart.com/ziegelzeig) for letting me use them in this story. Please check out their DeviantArt pages as they are all amazing artists and more importantly, wonderful friends. ^_^**

* * *

Eliot didn't need to be told twice. His nostrils twitched in the stale air, sniffing for the freshest air stream meandering into the cave. Nick sauntered up to Judy's side, his arms crossed, leaning against the cavern wall.

"Eliot here has the best sniffer this side of Mississipony River. He'll find which path is the best to take, no problemo."

Judy simply nodded, watching the wolf work as he took cautious steps towards the main path. Her amusement stalled when Eliot halted after barely any steps. Ears perking, he abruptly turned and headed back down the tunnel the way they came. Nick pulled away from the wall, following his friend.

"What the...Eliot? What are you doing?" Nick heard laughter behind him, the barely flickering torch alighting Judy's face, showing her amusement at the scene.

Judy held back a snort, yet a coy smile graced her lips in the dancing torchlight. "Seems like someone's sniffer might be broken."

Nick shook his head. "He's never been wrong before."

The group parted for the wolf, dividing the confused mammals as his pace quickened. Halting once more, Eliot straightened and waved Nick towards him. The fox barely made it a few steps before the wolf was off and running.

"We don't have time for this…" Nick grumbled as he jogged, Judy by his side with Chloe joining them.

"Eliot's nose is never wrong, Nicholas." Chloe's voice was calm, but chiding in tone with an aura of knowledge, as if she'd seen this before. It wasn't long until the group came back to the stream issuing from the wall of the cave. If it weren't for Chloe grabbing Eliot's tail, the canine would have jogged right into the murky water and crumbling sandstone.

Nick huffed, annoyed and grumbling as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Eliot,  _why_  did you lead us to this...stream."

Coming out of his daze, Eliot blinked back the surprise, cocking his head as he scratched his chin. "Uh...I'm not sure. The air just smelled less stale from here?"

Nick nursed his growing headache. Judy walked forward, placing a paw against the wall near where the water gurgled forth from its hole. Bits and pieces of dirt and rock fell as she scratched around the hole until a large clump plopped into the stream, damming the entire area. Judy pressed her paw against the plug, waiting several minutes until water began seeping around the blockage until, finally, it exploded past her paw, the rabbit leaping out of the way of the gush of water and soil spilling out onto the pathway.

"Where's that bear we freed…" Judy mumbled, scanning the group in the diminishing torchlight. A large black bear stumbled forward, raising his paw. "Whatcha need, Miss?"

"Judy?"

The doe looked to Nick with a smile. "I think Eliot  _has_  found us a way out that won't be a challenge."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You're going to need to explain this one to me…"

"Pipes."

"Pipes?" Nick repeated, staring at the now more-sizable hole.

Judy nodded. "At my family farm, we have to pipe in water to where some of our fields are. This hole is acting as a pipe for the water that is coming from above us...from  _above_  ground."

"Still," Nick interjected, holding up his paws. "Only a teensy little otter could shimmy their way up that opening, and what if they are stuck? They'll drown."

Judy's smile broadened. "Yes, but blocking this showed me how much open area is behind this  _teensy_  hole." The doe looked at the bear. "Can you pound this wall a bit for me, por favor?"

Shrugging his shoulders at the odd request, the bear did as told and began hammering at the wall where Judy indicated, right above the now larger hole.

"This rock is barely rock at all," Judy continued. "It's basically sediment that the river above has pushed here by force. This all used to be underground rivers for what is now above us. And a cavern this big requires a lot of water to form. And if it hadn't come in from the entrance…"

Nick grinned. "Then it would have had to come in from somewhere else...say, here."

Judy nodded.

"Clever bunny."

"You know you love me."

Placing a paw on Judy's shoulder, he leaned in and gently kissed her lips. "More than you know, mi amor." Judy's lips chased his, not wanting the feeling of bliss to end, and she pouted inwardly as they parted. Though she wouldn't allow him to move away any further than their lips no longer touching. She leaned into the tod, letting her head rest against his chest, relishing how quickly his heart beat at her touch and equally gleeful at how he wrapped his arm and tail around her shoulder and legs. It made her want to lean up again, to press her lips against his own once more yet, the atmosphere around her brought her back down to earth.

Now was not the time for such things.

"So, tell me Judy," Nick stated as he watched the bear slam his large paws against the wall, and unaware of the conflicted bunny by his side. Large clumps of sediment and even small rocks were tumbling out of the stream, and cracks were splitting the wall around them. "How do you know there is a passage behind this seemingly solid wall of rock and stone?"

Judy's laugh filled the empty tunnel. "You learn a lot as a burrower, Nicholas. Especially when helping your family dig a new section for your warren. We've run across our fair share of underground streams. The dirt and 'stone' around this area is too much like river silt and sediment piled up." She pointed at the darker coloration of the area around the gurgling rivulet. "This was all sediment from a river, or whatever is feeding this stream, from above. Larger sediment plugs a hole, and the water just, finds a way around it, creating a larger tunnel."

Nick looked more closely at the wall, the light from the torch revealing large rocks surrounded by, what now at closer inspection, did indeed look like silt deposits.

_CRACK!_

Judy's ears and Nick tail jumped up at the loud splintering sound echoing through the chambers around them. The eerie noise caused nervous glances to be shared around the group. Nick slowly walked back from the wall as a slow rumbling sound sent flecks of dirt and stone down like rain. Judy and Nick motioned for the group to head up from the stream as more pieces of wall tumbled down.

Once the wall steadied, the bear looked at Judy, a bit of nervousness in his gaze. She nodded. "One more good one, por favor."

He raised his paws and, after a moment's hesitation, slammed them against the wall. It gave way with a terrible cracking sound, and the wall crumbled into a void behind it.

The only sound that was louder was Judy's whoop of delight. "Yes! It worked!" The rabbit binkyed, leaping into the air only to be caught by Nick. She blinked in surprise before his lips met hers, her arms wrapping around his face quickly as the kiss deepened.

"Awwwww! Pumpkin, look! That is what we need to teach this other fox and bunny couple to do! Here you two, let me put you together like Don Wilde and Capitán Hopps!"

Eyes widening in alarm, Judy leapt out of Nick's arms while the fox raced over to halt his fellow Don, who was busily trying to get the fox in the scarf to hold the white-furred doe in his arms.

Rolling her eyes, Judy went back to gazing into the hole. She didn't know how much erosion would have taken place, or how long the stream had been running into this tunnel, but her bet, and Eliot's nose, had paid off.

Clear of all the blockage, years of sediment, water and debris flowed from the wall and down the passageway. A few minutes of spilling soil, silt, wood and foliage passed until the stream slowed, and, what was more surprising, light trickled down the tunnel that had just been revealed.

Judy was grateful for the tunnel to have cleared, as she anxiously looked behind her, deep into the darkened tunnel and worrying if they'd been heard. Was the guard supposed to have checked in already? Was a host of soldiers already marching towards them? Should they begin preparing a defensive line, but with what? The weapons they had were small, and swords are no use against guns in long, empty tunnels.

The doe felt a paw on her shoulder, the warmth of it instantly calming. Looking up into the eyes of Nick, he seemed to be thinking the same things, but…

...his smile let her know everything was going to be okay.

Judy turned around to face cheering mammals, with Nick's smile buoying her spirits. "Gentlemammals, we've found your escape route."

Woops and cries of praise rang through the cave as mammals flooded towards the new opening. Starved for freedom, they pushed and shoved, anxious to be the first to bite into that delectable fruit. Over the din and cry of the imprisoned mammals, another type of shout had Judy's ears flicking back towards the tunnels.

"Nick?"

"Yes?" the fox asked, turning to see what was bothering his bun. Just as the pathway to freedom was lit by a dim spot of light, the tunnels that led away from the prison now also held a soft glow of flickering flames. At the tunnel's entrance, a deer and mountain lion stood, guns raised at the fleeing crowd.

Her worst fears realized...they'd been found.

_Click._

The gun fired, and a thunderclap burst through the shouts of joy, distorting them into screams of panic as mammals pushed blindly away from the sound of death. One of the two bullets tore into the left arm of the bear. He roared in pain, nearly covering the sound of the second bullet ricocheting off the walls. Footfalls from deeper within the cavern echoed around them, as well as shouts from the two guards guiding the way towards the escapees.

Judy immediately went into Capitán mode, shouting orders to the group."Get out of here, now! Eliot, lead these mammals to safety while Nicholas and I distract them, hurry!"

With a salute as crisp as one of her solders, Eliot began organizing the mammals into a steady stream, helping them into the upturned opening and picking up ones who slipped in the mossy and slimy stream they waded through.

"You jerks!"

Judy's head whipped around, following the trajectory of a rock that whizzed past her ears. It bounced harmlessly off the wall near the mountain lion, but did cause the big cat to flinch. Another rock sailed past, and this time Judy saw her assailant. The bunny who had been arguing with the fox in the cell earlier already had a third rock in her paw, attempting to throw it as the fox with the scarf held the struggling bunny while running towards the exit.

"Let me at them! Nobody shoots at my vilain renard*!"

"Rocks…" The thought struck Judy as the next bullet nearly nicked her ear. The path was strewn with debris from knocking out the wall, and if that rabbit could throw them…

"Nick!"

"Yes?"

Can you take them down if I provide cover?"

"Cover? Cover with what?" the exasperated fox shouted as a third mammal joined the two firing upon the group. A Behind them, a sheep bleated in pain before falling silent to the ground, crimson blood dyeing the wool around the new hole in his skull.

Judy deftly flicked the rock up with her foot, then with a swift kick smashed it towards the deer. She was rewarded with an ugly snap. The deer let out a guttural bleating sound as his gun-toting arm splintered. The gun tipped and wobbled before firing, shooting the mountain lion in the shin.

"This cover!" Judy shouted as the third mammal looked on in shock at his companions, both writhing in pain. That opening was all Don Wilde needed as he sped towards the group while rock after rock flew past his head. He trusted that Judy knew what she was doing, even if some of the rocks were coming quite close to his head and at dangerous speeds.

Nick needn't worry for too long, as he was on them a second later, crushing the hilt of his blade into the deer's skull, sending him into an uneasy slumber. Nick leapt against the opposite wall to gain height before planting both his feet into the mountain lion's jaw, snapping the cat's head into the rock behind him. He crumpled to the ground as the third guard, a fellow fox, drew his sword. The sound of tempered steel was sliding across leather when a whistling sounded in Nick's ear and one last stone caught the mammal in the forehead. Eyes crossed, as if he wanted to see the pain, then his body slumped to his knees, then to the ground in a haphazard heap of fur and flesh.

Nick quickly checked for pulses, letting out a sigh of relief when he found them on all three. Judy quickly joined him, searching them as the bear from their group lumbered up, tying off a makeshift bandage around his arm made from the tattered remains of his shirt sleeve.

"Make sure to protect this group when they're up. We don't know where that tunnel may lead, so the group must remain silent. Have Don Fanghanel lead you back to Zootopia, comprende? And once everyone is out, find a way to block this tunnel!"

"Si, Señorita."

Passing along the weapons from the unconscious guards, Judy and Nick watched as the bear turned and joined Eliot. The two kept their conversation short before the bear gently picked up the deceased ram and disappeared into the cave exit.

Eliot watched his friends as the last of the mammals escaped. "You two are coming with us, no?"

Nick shook his head. "I'm sorry, amigo. But with all this noise we've made here, as well as these estúpidas guardias* firing off their guns, we'll try and cause a diversion to allow you to escape."

"But…"

"No, Eliot," Nick commanded, a fiery glint in his eyes and in his words. "Lead them to Zootopia,  _discreetly_ , if possible. Besides…" Nick shrugged, his canine whites flashing a smile in the darkness, "We still have to pay a visit to the leader of all this."

"Nick's right, Eliot," Judy sounded, affixing the fox guard's dagger and its sheath on her own belt. "Once you get to Zootopia, I want you to contact Weidii and Valorie. They'll be able to contact Admiral Wilde and Sergeant Clawhauser about this mess. We'll need their support when we make it back to Zootopia."

" _When_  you make it back…" Eliot repeated, hope sounding in his words.

"Yes,  _when_ we're back," Judy repeated with a light smile. "Now go, you have Chloe and the others to defend."

Nodding quickly, the white wolf disappeared up the cavern as the sound of more voices rushing towards them filled the tunnels. The fox and bunny looked around them, the sudden quiet compared to the prior battle creating an ominous feeling in the cold, humid air.

Nick eyed their surroundings while picking up the dropped torch from the guards. "I can hear at least three sets of voices, and know by that look you're giving me that you can hear even more…"

"Eleven."

"So eleven against two," Nick huffed. "That doesn't seem fair."

"For them, maybe," Judy replied with a smile, one which Nick's teeth couldn't help but join.

"How did I know you would say that?"

"You know me too well, perhaps?"

"I want to know you better."

"Fight now, flirt later, Nicholas."

"How about distract now, flirt too?"

Judy shot Nick a frustrated glance, though the glint in his eyes was all too familiar. "What's the plan, slick?"

Nick walked towards the nearest guard and pulled at an arm. "Grab the other, would you?"

Together, the two plotted and planned in the dark, dragging the guards down the vacated cave towards their own cell, away from the escape tunnel. Once all three were slumped against the wall, Nick and Judy managed to dash behind a rocky outcropping before a veritable earthquake of paws rumbled into the intersection.

"Where are they?"

"Where's Lucas, Sam and Solider?"

Nick and Judy cautiously glanced from their corner, spying the group of soldiers looking about.

"Over here!"

The group turned as one down the other path, surging forward at a fast trot.

"They must be down this way, hurry!"

Once the last of the guards' steps disappeared, Judy and Nick cautiously darted back into the intersection. Nick took a cautious sniff, wincing at the smell and waving a paw in front of his nose.

"Ay caramba, one would think they would know what a bath is."

Judy snickered. "Strong enough scent to lead us out of here?" Nick nodded immediately before grabbing Judy's paw and leading her off into the darkness.

* * *

Eliot scampered out of the hole, pushing aside the vines and tendrils covering it while holding Chloe in his arms, breathing in the fresh air. The other prisoners were idling about the area, a few finding a nearby blackberry bush and devouring the berries by the pawful as others drank deeply from the clear, fresh pond above the tunnel. The mood of the group was like day and night, with the foreboding gloom of a prisoner replaced by the joyful freedom of the escaped.

"We did it, Pumpkin!" Eliot said, nuzzling his wife as she held him tightly. Neither noticed their dingy appearance or coarse, matted fur, simply choosing to revel in the feelings of hope that were springing forth.

"We did," Chloe replied, "Though I hope that Capitán Hopps and Don Wilde will be safe. Don't...don't forget what they asked us to do."

Eliot's ears perked up as the final escapee exited the tunnel. The bear was somber, holding their deceased prisoner as he looked to the sky, closing his eyes and shedding tears. Of joy or sadness, or both, neither wolf nor thylacine could tell. "I wish I could go back down there and help them," Eliot whispered.

"You know they can handle themselves."

"I know, Pumpkin."

"Do this for them, then."

Eliot nodded once before gently placing Chloe on the ground. "Now how to close this tunnel?" The white wolf examined the scenery. The river roiled past the edge of a nearby cliff. Most of the mammals were gathered in small groups next to the pond, milling about in a semi-daze. Behind him, the mountain loomed tall, pines and shrubs hiding its summit from view. To his left, the fox and bunny from earlier were arguing once more, something Eliot resolved to fix as he watched the bunny try and hug the fox, only for him to try and pull her off of his chest. To his right…

Eliot smiled. "Perfecto!"

A small shack stood, its doors' metal hinges rusted with age and wood covered in brambles and vines. Yet the aged hut still showed one item that piqued his interest...that of a skull and a word: explosivo*.

"Perfecto!"

Eliot happily made short work of the rotting door, tearing it off its rusted hinges and tossing it aside like a limp rag. The inside of the room was a ghastly sight, now awash in a mid-afternoon sun it hadn't seen in ages. The floor moved, incredible numbers of cockroaches and insects scattering, hiding from the brilliance of the outside as Eliot stepped into their domain.

"Where are they, where are they…" Eliot scanned the room, tipping over boxes and scattering their contents across the floor in his frenzied search. He wisely avoided lighting an old lantern still hanging from a rotting crossbeam, instead letting his eyes adjust. The noises outside, including many raised voices and shouts, meant nothing to him when he finally found a box of what he was looking for.

He delicately lifted several of the red, wax-wrapped sticks in his paws, tail thumping behind him at an increasing rate.

"Eliot? Eliot!"

Only the voice of his dearest broke his trance. Looking back at the opening, he saw Chloe blocking the light, a nervous expression upon her face.

"What is it, Pumpkin?"

"Some mammals have shown up outside. They surrounded everyone and I...I don't know who they are and…"

Eliot shot past her quicker than a rattlesnake's strike, bounding through the door with a growl on his lips and dynamite in his paws. All of the rescued mammals were huddled together, surrounded by a circle of predators. The coyotes, lycaons and wolves all had their fur painted an assortment of varied designs and shapes. Their clothing showed they were from local native tribes, though the weapons in their paws and eyes boring into the approaching wolf caused Eliot a moment's pause as he ground to a stop a safe distance away.

"Which one of you startled my Pumpkin!" Eliot growled as several of the painted dogs stepped forward.

"Are you the leader of this group?" one of the lycaons asked as he stared down Eliot.

"No, and you better get going after how you've scared my Pumpkin or I'll-"

His words were cut off as a brisk wind cut through the clearing, bringing a chilled breeze from the mountains above to the group below. An involuntary shudder ran through the huddled mass of rescued mammals as a coyote stepped forward, two tomahawks in his paws, eyes glowing bright as the shadows around him darkened.

"Are you with Don Wilde and Capitán Hopps?" the coyote asked. There was no emotion to his words, but a clear edge of danger tingled inside Eliot's heart.

"Yes," Eliot gulped. "Who are you?"

The coyote nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer as the oppressive feeling of darkness fled the clearing and pond. Eliot could only stand, confused, as the coyote plucked several sticks of dynamite from his paws, before tossing them to a nearby painted dog. "Tell me, white wolf, where are the Don and Capitán now?"

"They said they were going to distract the guards and go through the cave to let us escape through there…" He pointed towards the opening at the edge of the pond, moving slightly to keep himself between this unknown predator and his wife. Chloe had snuck behind him, hugging Eliot's waist as she looked at the group in front of them.

Again the wolf's words were met with a voiceless nod as the coyote tossed the sticks to his fellow warriors. "Pàk'ínk patúlpatúl wanáynakt."*

"We will," the lycaon replied, before turning to his tan companion. "Come on, Atom. Let's have some fun."

The other painted dog grinned, tail wagging as he produced flint from a pouch on his waist. The two trundled off towards the exit tunnel as the coyote turned back to face Eliot.

Eliot stared in alarm as the tanner wild dog lit one of the sticks and eagerly tossed it into the hole.

"NO!"

Eliot charged forward, only to be halted by a tomahawk to his throat. He took a step back as a loud explosion ripped through the air. Dust, soot, rocks and debris flew from the tunnel's entrance as the sound of collapsing rocks rang in everyone's ears.

"Now Nicholas and Judy's wishes are fulfilled," the coyote stated simply. "I trust they will find a way out safely."

Eliot blinked at the familiarity the coyote spoke with towards his friends. "Who are you?"

The coyote smiled.

"I, am Ake'cheta." He waved his paw towards the warriors gathered around him. "This is my tribe…" The coyote centered his gaze back upon Eliot.

"And we," he stated, a glint in his eyes as he clasped a paw onto Eliot's shoulder while several warriors walked into the shack behind them. "...are going to cause some mayhem."

* * *

**AN: So, was the wait worth it? Do you like the cameo's? Does this answer everyone's question of where Ake'cheta went to? Lots of craziness coming up in the next chapter, which, I mean, I'm giving Eliot dynamite so...yeah. XD On a more serious note, I know I'll get questions about their escape method through that silt tunnel, and yes, before anything else, they do exist. Rare, but they do happen and here Judy just took her knowledge of burrowing and applied it. I hope it makes sense as geologically, it is valid what happened. ^_^**

**Translations:**

**vilain renard: (French) Naughty Fox**

**estúpidas guardias: Stupid Guards**

**Explosivo: explosives**

**Pàk'ínk patúlpatúl wanáynakt: Close that tunnel**


	44. Game of Revenge

**Chapter 44 Game of Revenge**

**Edited by FoxintheHenhouse & Irual**

**AN: Special thanks again to Bluelighthouse, Koraru-san, Ake'cheta(knoton13), OceRydia and Ziegelzeig for letting me use their characters in this story. Thank you guys! And again, thanks to my wonderful friends FoxintheHenhouse and Irual who volunteered to edit this chapter for me. Now, the reason why this chapter has taken so long is because of two things.**

**1\. I moved.**

**2\. I moved. XD**

**So I apologize for the wait, but RL comes first. But not to worry, I'm already deep into chapter 45 so that should come quickly. And with that announcement, enjoy a Game of Revenge. :)**

* * *

Nick and Judy made it through the tunnels quickly, following the strongest scent of unwashed mammals. Judy had to keep her laughter to herself several times as she heard Nick gag at a particularly nasty stench he'd pick up.

"It's like they never learned how to bathe," he muttered after one particularly nasty sniff had him on all fours, dry heaving. Judy stifled her giggles, rubbing his back as his sleeve made for an inelegant neckerchief as he finished.

After that particular bout, they were off and running again, thankfully only stumbling upon a guard or two as they hastened for the cavern's exit. The first was easy to dispatch, the dingo unaware of the fox and bunny until Judy's feet connected with his muzzle, sending him crashing into the cave wall and slumping to the ground. The second, a Bengal tiger, was a little harder, though they managed. It had helped they had made a bet about whoever knocked him out could kiss the other.

Judy had accepted Nick's kiss on the lips with gusto, savoring the taste of him as they walked past the unconscious feline who lay slumped with his rear heavenward, a sandbag nearly covering his head.

Finally, as they turned a corner, the shadows began to fade and the light of their torch became unnecessary. With the cave entrance in view, they slowed their pace, sneaking forward. It would not do to be caught so close to their goal.

A sudden rumble and dull roar of an explosion came from behind them. Both scampered behind some nearby crates as the rumbling ceased, and the shouting began. Judy listened as dozens of panicked voices sounded outside the cavern's entrance, and the padding of many paws and hooves on gravel drew nigh. She was barely aware as Nick pulled her closer to him, his tail wrapping around her, concealing her almost entirely from view. She appreciated the gesture and rewarded him, nuzzling his cheek while feeling a grin appear on his face before they settled into their hiding place.

Neither knew what had caused the explosion behind them, but the hope that it had nothing to do with their fellow escapees was in the forefront of their thoughts.

In less than a minute a score of mammals was rushing into the cave, torches, guns, and swords gleaming in the glow of sunlight before succumbing to the inky depths underground. It wasn't until Judy turned her attention back to the cave's entrance that her heart skipped a beat.

There, standing as a shadow in the light, her brilliant white fur set ablaze from the sun was Skye Winters. Judy nudged Nick, nodding her head towards the entrance as the vixen strolled into the cave. Soon she had entered far enough where her shining fur became murky in the dancing firelight.

The arctic vixen turned, sniffing the air as she glared in the direction of the cells Nick and Judy had just escaped from.

"Do you think it's them?"

Nick frowned. That gravelly, deep baritone of a voice sounded oddly familiar. The fox squinted at the cave's entrance, barely seeing the outline of a large mammal standing in the sunlight outside.

Skye turned the voice and nodded. "Has this entire expedition here for our leader been a waste of time? Of course it was them!" Skye growled, flailing her arms. "Who else would it be? The dead coming back to haunt your soul?"

The mammal in the cave entrance snorted. "I'm sure our soldiers can handle them. Come, Skye. We have work to do."

The shadow disappearing until the sun enveloped it completely. Skye looked around the cave for a moment longer, her eyes seeming to settle upon the crates Judy and Nick hid behind for the briefest of time. With an angry flick of her tail, she turned and followed the other mammal until she too disappeared into the daylight.

Breathing sighs of relief, the two waited another minute until they left their hiding place, careful to make nary a sound as they crept forward until the light was no longer blinding and they finally had a view of outside.

"Oh my..."

Nick agreed with Judy's sentiment. Outside the cave entrance was an entire small town of huts, tents and ramshackle buildings. The crude designs seemed mostly held together by hopes and grit as much as lumber and adobe. Judy nudged Nick's side, nodding her head in the direction of a nearby Conestoga wagon. He nodded and the duo quickly slinked into the back of it, peering out between the canvas and sideboards at the derelict buildings before them.

"So, what should we do now?" Judy asked.

Nick shrugged and, not seeing anyone around, turned and laid in the bottom of the wagon. "For now? I'd imagine wait for sunset and find a way out. We can't really take on this many mammals at the moment."

Peeking outside at the sea of tents, Judy found herself agreeing for once. A ship filled with twenty or so bootlegging mammals they could handle, but seeing how that many mammals and more had already disappeared into the cave system behind them, who knew the true numbers of those inhabiting this place.

She knew she couldn't take them all on, however, Judy Hopps was nothing if not creative.

She hopped down into the bed of the wagon, scrounging through the many barrels and boxes.

"What are you looking for?" Nick asked, unclasping his paws from behind his head and leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"Anything we can use as a diversion so we can get going."

Nick chuckled. "Patient one, no?"

"Not at all-aha!" Judy smiled as she lifted a set of flint and tinder from one of the boxes. With an even bigger smirk, she glanced at Nick. "So, which of those buildings out there do you think will burn the best?"

Grinning as well, Nick peered out from the folds of the Conestoga's cover. "I believe...that one." He turned back to Judy, only to gasp as the bunny leapt through the opening, running towards the mentioned shack. "Ay caramba..." Nick groaned, though kept a watch as she struck the flint several times at the edge of the building. In a literal flash, the building took and Judy scampered back to their hold.

"Next time, don't be so careless, Judy," Nick warned as a series of yells announced the discovery of the burning shack. The two carefully edged to the other side of the wagon, slinking out and keeping towards the cliff wall behind them as dozens of mammals rushed towards the scene, some with buckets and others with shovels, frantically tossing dirt onto the flames to keep the fire from spreading to the other ramshackle buildings. The pair made their way to the back of a rather large and fairly well-constructed building, nearly the size of Nick's casita on his villa. Peeking through a back window showed nobody within, and the duo snuck through the back door.

Nick groaned.

"We would have to wander into her room, wouldn't we..."

The smell was unmistakable.

The white fur speckled across the ground here and there confirmed what his sense of smell had already told him.

This was Skye's room.

Nick nervously glanced towards the other door that led further into the building, knowing full well it wouldn't do for them to be caught in here of all places. "Judy, check the door, see if you can hear anyone outside."

Judy crept towards the door, placing an ear against it as Nick surveyed the room for anything they could use. Seeing Judy shaking her head and returning from the door, he felt he could finally breathe again.

"So..." Judy began, glancing around the room. "Seems like Skye keeps a pretty clean bedroom for being a ruffian."

"She was always focused on cleanliness. Once, when we were together..."

Judy felt the pause in his voice more than heard it and walked towards the fox, laying a paw on his side. The slight tremor in his pulse and bristled fur had her confused to his emotions, his face a stoic mask. Knowing words couldn't fix the harm his ex-fiance had caused him, she did the only thing that could.

Nick felt Judy's hug, feeling a blissful release of pressure and tension coiled within it. He almost immediately reached out for her, pulling her close. Time passed, and the more of it that did, the more each mammal realized the time and place for the mutual embrace had come to an end. They separated and began their search of the room anew.

"Nick?" Judy said after a few moments while scouring through a dusty bookshelf.

"Yes, my love?"

The blush heating Judy's ears rose like her smile at his words. "Did Skye ever keep a journal?"

"She did," he nodded before his eyes widened. "Which means..."

"...that it could be somewhere in here!" Judy finished, ears alert and glancing quickly outside a nearby window as a shadow passed across it.

"And we could then see what and where she's been and maybe what this organization has been up to!"

The two smiled, turning to alternate sides of the room to quietly begin the search. "Hopefully she was one of those detailed mammals," Judy muttered as she looked underneath the mattress, coughing when she let it down and dust billowed out.

"If I know Skye, which, in all honesty, I don't think I do," Nick replied. "I would hope it was as detailed as it was when we were together. Emphasis on how we are never, ever, ever, getting back together."

Judy couldn't help but smile at his comment. Then, even more, when she came across a locked drawer in the desk. "Bingo."

Nick dropped the blanket he looked under. "What did you find?" Sauntering over, he saw Judy tugging at the locked drawer.

"Let me," he said with a flourishing wave of his paw. Flipping onto his back on the floor, he wiggled under the desk until his head and arms disappeared. A few grunts, an odd click or two, and a muttered curse preceded a louder click.

"I still have it!"

Judy chuckled. "You're Zorro, if you couldn't open this, I would have to revoke your sly card."

Nick peeked out from under the desk, grinning at Judy. "Still, does this earn me a prize from my lovely lady?"

Seeing the waggle of his eyebrows, Judy sauntered over to Nick's side, noticing how his eyes briefly flickered to the sway of her hips before shooting back to her eyes. "I believe so," she replied, before taking his muzzle in her paws, tipping it slightly to give him the quickest of kisses.

"Oh, you vile temptress..." he chuckled. He leaned up for another, only to duck as Judy opened the drawer, a light peal of laughter from the doe as it blocked his attempt.

"Insufferable, lovely rabbits."

"You know you love me," Judy replied, the sound of moving papers muffling her reply.

"Of course I love you," Nick said with a smile as he pushed out from under the desk and joined Judy in searching the drawer, though making sure he drew so close that the papers they searched through couldn't have slid between them. Seeing as the sought after journal was not in the lowest drawer, Nick placed his paw within, feeling around the bottom of the next drawer up until he found a lever and switched it. The drawer above came undone and it too was searched. Finally, at the bottom, they discovered it.

A pristine, reptile leather-bound book.

"This is it..."

The pair looked at one another, nodded, then cracked open the book. It only took a few seconds for Nick to pale beneath his fur, and Judy's ears to wilt behind her as they read the first entry.

_July 19th, 1848_

_"Help me..."_

_"I don't know where I am...I don't know where Nicholas is. He must be worried sick. My head still hurts from...whatever happened. I don't know if I can keep this journal a secret, but hopefully, by writing this, I can remember what they are trying to get me to forget._

_"Mi Amor, Nicholas."_

"She...she was kidnapped."

The realization shook both fox and rabbit to their cores, and they hurried to read the following entries, each one growing more despondent with the passing days. Several of the first pages were stained with watermarks as Skye marked the passing of time, and of her fading memories.

_January 27th, 1849_

_"They are still trying to break me? Have they? I...I don't know anymore. The pain mounts each day I undergo 'treatment'. Nothing makes sense and the only things I can remember from before are from what I've found written in here. Nicholas, if this is ever found, and I'm sure if anyone can find it that it would be you..._

_...please don't hate what I'm becoming."_

They flipped through several more pages, the scribblings becoming more desperate and broken as well as vicious and cruel until the entries stopped, nearly a year after the first scribbles on the page. The final entry was labeled June 8th, 1849...

_"I am off on my first mission to cleanse the evils from this land for my master. I know I can succeed and maybe one day...I can have my revenge upon this, Nicholas de la Wilde whom my master hates so much. Reading these pages makes me ill that I was once this weak myself._

_"Now onward...onward to death and glory."_

"They brainwashed her." The words seemed harsh on Judy's tongue, yet the evidence lay before them, written by the vixen's own paw. The cruel vixen they had fought, the one who'd slain Gideon and nearly killed them both, was a creation of this, Master, she spoke of.

Judy turned to her companion, only to see him trembling. His eyes were narrowed slits, his visage an image of fury and anger...

...an image of an avenging angel.

"Nick?" She placed a paw on his arm, feeling a slight dip in his tremors as he fought with his emotions. He looked back down at her, his eyes calming from savage emeralds to warm jade.

"The Skye I knew is lost forever," he finally proclaimed.

He swallowed and blinked.

"Yet, how are you up for a game of revenge? Eh, Judy?"

Her ears shot up, aimed at the outside door as she froze for an instant. A few seconds later, several voices could be heard outside.

_"I smell them heading towards The Assassin's door."_

_"Find her and The Master! We've got them now!"_

Judy sprang to the door, locking it shut as the doorknob jingled in annoyance. As soon as she stepped away, Nick was there, jamming a chair against it before they stepped back.

"Well, they seem to have found us," he jibed, his familiar Zorro facade coming through.

Judy grinned as she drew her sword. "Guess we'll just have to see what's through door numero two, eh?"

Padded paws against wood sounded outside the inner door, raised voices shouting exclamations.

"Should we greet our guests?" Judy asked, watching as Nick drew his own sword. He waved her forward with a roll of his paw.

"After you, mi amor. You go high, I go low, and we'll see just how many mammals our swords get to know."

Judy laughed in spite of the intensity of the noise of enemies growing. "You would make a pun at a time like this. The door handle jiggled on the inside door.

"Of course, how could I not as I adore that roguish smile you wear so beautifully when I do, my dear Judy."

The door shook, the sound of wood cracking following shortly after.

The pair of swordsmammals stood shoulder to shoulder, eyeing both doors as they stood near a corner, waiting to see which would break first.

The explosion that tore down the wall shattered the window and threw them into the far corner of the room was not what they had in mind.

* * *

"So, what is the plan?"

Eliot was leaning over the edge of the cliff, alongside Ake'cheta and several of his warriors, as they looked down upon the settlement below.

"We'll wait for nightfall and then attack," came the coyote's reply. "Most of the mammals below are prey, and cannot see at night like we can. My tribe specializes in night warfare. These mammals, do not."

Eliot huffed, frowning as he went back to gazing at the mess of tents and structures below. The two biggest things he saw, was the large landslide on the far side of the encampment along the river, something that could be easily climbed or descended. The second was the large dark void, most likely the entrance to the cave they'd been imprisoned in. They'd already seen a large group of mammals enter, as well as a fox and bunny scurrying out into the daylight...

Fox and bunny?

"It's Nick and Capitan Hopps!" Eliot exclaimed, pointing at the cave entrance and wagging his tail. Ake'cheta smacked his arm down.

"You want them to notice us, Pale Wolf?" Ake'cheta growled.

"Sorry..." Eliot lowered his arm, but his tail refused to end its wagging. He watched as they disappeared into a wagon, then not too long after, Hopps reappeared, running towards a nearby building.

"What is she doing?"

Eliot and Ake'cheta turned towards the new voice. The other bunny and fox couple, as Eliot had called them much to the fox's assumed annoyance and bunny's joy, though his nose could sense otherwise from the fox, had joined them on the ledge, peering down into the jumble below.

A moment later they had their answer as a pillory of smoke rose into the sky, the bunny and fox darting away into a much larger building.

"Fire..." cackled the rabbit doe. "Hey Zieg, we need to make a bonfire when we get back. Just the two of us."

"You just want a hug, Oce," he grumbled, glaring at the bunny.

"Awwww, how cute!" Eliot chimed in, ignoring the death glare from the rabbit. "You two already have nicknames for each other! Pumpkin would be so pleased to hear you two!"

"Not now!" Ake'cheta hissed, glaring at the bunny who had stood and was marching towards the wolf. "We have trouble."

"Oh yes we do," the bunny replied. "He called me cute!"

Eliot looked flummoxed. "But you and Zieg are cute together."

"No we're not!" Zieg yelled, his white ear tips turning as red as his scarf.

The bunny stomped her foot. "I just want a hug! One hug!"

"Give her a hug already, and I can sketch it!" cried Eliot.

Eliot's tail began to wag harder.

Oce's foot thumped.

Delta, one of the warriors on the other side of Eliot chimed in. "I think they are adorable as well." His partner, another painted dog they'd learned was named Atom, nodded his head vigorously.

"Am not!" Zieg said with a scowl.

"Don't make me come over there and hug you!" Oce shouted.

Eliot raised his paw. "I can just hug both of you together, would that count?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Enough!" Growled, his temper reaching a critical point. "We have trouble below!"

The bickering mammals on the clifftop swung their attention to below, seeing a group of wolves sniffing their way around the burned building.

"Oh, that isn't good..." Zieg stated quietly as the wolves reached the cliffside wagon.

"They'll be caught for sure," Oce gasped, her foot nervously thumping again.

"Not on my watch!" Eliot exclaimed, bolting up and running back towards a haphazard canvas bag they'd pulled from the abandoned shack. Ake'cheta shook his head. Nothing was going to plan with these mammals around him. They'd all volunteered to come with him and his warriors while the others stayed behind. Even Eliot had managed to convince 'His Pumpkin' to stay with the caravan of freed mammals to keep her safe while he protected.

Now the coyote wished the thylacine had convinced her husband to stay behind.

His ears perked at the sound of a fuse being lit behind him. His eyes widened as he saw a red stick of dynamite flying over their heads, heading straight towards the camp below.

"Oh no..." he muttered as the stick bounced off the roof of one of the shacks before landing at the feet of a rhino. The large animal gave a frightened bellow, turned and ran several steps before the dynamite exploded, shattering the shack and sending a resounding roar into the area below.

"Oh! Give me one of those!"

Ake'cheta's eyes widened further as he looked to his right and spotted Oce grabbing a second stick from the wolf's paw.

"This is for imprisoning us in that dirty cave you twits!" The doe's angry shout was followed by her lobbing the dynamite towards the still burning shack. Her aim was impressively true as it fell right into the inferno, exploding a short second later, sending bits of flaming wood and debris into the surrounding mammals, their screams splitting the air.

Ake'cheta turned towards Delta and Atom, both of whom held dynamite in their paws.

"Not you too..." he groaned.

Delta shrugged. "The surprise has been lost. Might as well have some fun." With a flick of a piece of flint against the fuse, his own stick was lit. Tapping it against Atom's, in a semblance of a toast, the two tossed them below.

"Guess we're attacking now," Ake'cheta grumbled as he turned away from the chaos below. He jogged off towards the treeline where the rest of his tribe was gathered.

"Change of plans," he said, his words highlighted by dual booms shattering the quiet of the forest, as well as the cackling laughter from Oce and Eliot.

"Come on, Zieg, toss one!"

Ake'cheta sighed. "We attack now."

* * *

**AN: I warned you that giving Eliot dynamite is a bad idea... Huge thank you to all my friends who've let me use their characters in this story. And also, I apologize for the very long wait on this chapter. It won't happen again.**

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've done it. I officially have created a Zootopia/Zorro crossover. So, just let me know what you think of it and what eclectic adventures, or misadventures, you'd like these two to go on.


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